Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Army May Have Superhuman Mind-Controlled Exoskeletons in 5 Years

Russia has increased its focus on the military in recent years under the guidance of President Vladimir Putin. Sergei Porter / Vedomosti

Soldiers clad in superhuman exoskeletons may sound like a bad dream or something out of a science fiction film, but Russian scientists are just five years away from producing the real thing, a news report said Wednesday.

"I think that in about five years we will have the neural interface to control exoskeletons and prostheses through the electric potentials of the brain," said Alexander Kulish, head of medical equipment development and production at the United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC), the TASS news agency reported.

UIMC is dedicated to manufacturing communications, electronic and robotic systems for the Russian military and civil application. It is a subsidiary of state-owned defense and technology holding Rostec.

In combat conditions, these exoskeletons could allow soldiers to carry up to 200 or 300 kilograms of battle gear and perform remarkable feats, Kulish said.

"With this a soldier can perform incredible jumps, move and throw heavy objects. This is the future," Kulish said.

Exoskeletons are not the end of this innovation, he added. If the technology becomes precise enough "we can control many instruments: automobiles, drones," Kulish said.

The technology also has civilian uses: Exoskeletons can be used to rehabilitate people whose locomotor or central nervous systems have been damaged, the scientist was quoted as saying.

Russia has increased its focus on the military in recent years under the guidance of President Vladimir Putin, in particular through a massive 20 trillion ruble ($390 billion) rearmament drive through 2020 that has continued even as Russia's state budget comes under pressure from falling oil prices and an impending recession.

The Russian military already has a few sci-fi-esque technology projects to its name, including an ongoing one to build massive machine gun-wielding battle robots.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more