Russia: certification testing of first combat exoskeleton EO-1 to be over by 2020

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Government certification tests of Russia’s first-ever passive exoskeleton EO-1 are going to be completed by the end of 2019, a senior research fellow at the Karbyshev Central Research and Testing Institute of Russia’s Engineering Forces, Major Artyom Chistobayev, has told TASS.

Russia certification testing of first combat exoskeleton EO 1 to be over by 2020
The EO-1 exoskeleton was tested in Syria when Russian specialists conducted mine-clearing operations in Palmyra (Picture source: Russian MoD)

"The pre-serial sample of the exoskeleton is in the testing stage. The preliminary phase will be completed mostly probably by the summer of 2019 and government certification tests are to be completed by the end of the year," Chistobayev said. The introduction process began three years ago. "The first test sample was presented at the Karbyshev Institute back in 2015".

The EO-1 exoskeleton was tested in Syria when Russian specialists conducted mine-clearing operations in Palmyra. "In March-April 2017 the exoskeleton was used in combat conditions for clearing the terrain and Palmyra’s historical sites of mines," Chistobayev said.

In Russia’s engineering forces the exoskeleton is used by the operators of the mine-clearing Robot Uran-6. The robot’s command and communication panel weighs about 20 kilograms. Military engineers plan to adjust the exoskeleton to the heavy armored gear of engineering and assault battalions, which has a mass of 25-30 kilograms.

The passive exoskeleton EO-1 is meant for easing the load on the body of a soldier carrying cargoes of up to 50 kilograms during long marches and in assault operations. It provides protection for the joints and spine and is adjustable to the height and build of each individual soldier. The passive exoskeleton is simple and reliable and requires no batteries, servo drives, control systems or sensors.

A TASS correspondent has had a chance to put on the exoskeleton to get first-hand impression of its properties. The EO-1 is well-adjusted to the musculoskeletal system of the human body. In static condition it eases the load on the legs and back to a point where the weight of one’s own body stops to be felt and makes the 20-kilogram control panel of the Uran-6 robot extremely easy to operate. The wearer is capable of getting down to one knee, sitting down, lying down, getting up and walking at a fast pace.