A Soldier carries a 61-pound load while walking in a prototype DARPA Warrior Web system during an independent evaluation by the U.S. Army. Warrior Web seeks to create a soft, lightweight under-suit that might help reduce injuries and fatigue common for Soldiers, who often carry 100-pound loads for extended periods over rough terrain.

DARPA envisions Warrior Web augmenting the work of Soldiers’ own muscles to noticeably boost endurance, carrying capacity and overall warfighter effectiveness-all while using not more than 100W of power.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory Human Research and Engineering Directorate (ARL HRED) is nearing completion of a five-month series of tests to judge multiple Warrior Web prototype devices.

The testing evaluates how each prototype incorporates different technologies and approaches to minimize forces at the body, decrease fatigue, stabilize joints and help Soldiers to take care of a natural gait under a heavy load.

The testing uses a multi-camera motion-capture system to establish any changes in gait or balance, a cardio-pulmonary exercise testing device to measure oxygen consumption and various sensors to assemble force, acceleration and muscle activity data.

The Warrior Web program includes two related program tasks. Currently underway, Task A seeks to develop a mixture of core technologies deemed critical for the program’s success.

Scheduled to commence in fall 2013, Task B aims to develop and fabricate an integrated suit that may eventually undergo real-world testing to judge its performance.