Exoskeletons - The Bionic Soldier

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I have to admit that I am fascinated watching modern technology taking the first faltering steps into the realms of what was the province of Science Fiction. In particular, trying to visualise the development path to what it can ultimately become witin our Sci Fi games.

I'm a business analyst and IT Project Manager by profession, so am well aware of the pitfalls of technology that promises X and delivers Y, If you are lucky it delivers anything at all. Especially where the key decisions for the product are made for political or capital reasons and based on over-optimistic expectations. But luckily many of our Sci Fi universes have overcome these mundane issues to colonise the galaxy.

The key to the technological soldier on the battlefield is power. Batteries are becoming smaller and more powerful all the time. The research and developments in battery technology is interesting if boring. Let's for a moment assume we overcome the power/battery issue. If our guys can fly several thousand light years to invade another planet, they sure as hell are going to have the power issue licked.

Research into exoskeletons is in it's infancy. We probably already take for granted some of this research when we play with Terminator style human robots or even Power Armoured troopers. But what are the intermediatory steps? Should we and how do we define that technology on the tabletop? If at all we do. Of course, different rules and game universes will have different solutions. It's a fascinating challenge nevertheless, which may open up tactical options and abilities not covered by some future game systems.

There's a good introductory article here: EXOSKELTONS



In the not too distant future, the military will be augmented with exoskeletons to enable them to carry and move loads in a similar fashion the Power Loader Ripley drives ('jockies'?) in Aliens (1986). Special Forces troops may have a quick release exoskeleton that will carry great weights of combat/survival gear and reduce their fatigue on long patrols or overland insertions.



We can already see this technology being refined and slimmed down. It's not too difficult to envisage the exoskeleton being incorporated into soldiers armour - Power Armour (PA) troopers suddenly become a real prospect - but not necessarily the man in a big tin suit! Finally the nano-fibre combat suit itself will be created around a form fitting exoskeleton.



Which means that by degree our soldier of the future will have improved speed, strength, and agility. As the web article above says "Man morphed into machine". Looking far down the line, at what point do the robotics end and the man begin? When do we say that the soldier is more android or robot than man (or squid or whatever) and should fall under the relevant rules in our games. Or should we just take it for granted?

Cheers
Mark
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Latest Sci Fi AFV's from GZG!

Jon at GZG has sent me the following news item about his latest 15mm Sci Fi AFV's!

"First off, we have some new 8-wheeled combat vehicles - the first three are a basic "battle taxi" APC, a turretted MICV and a Fire Support/Tank Killer variant with a nice long cannon. As with all our 15mm vehicle range, they are generic designs and you can use them for whatever forces you like, but we think they're especially suitable for our Eurasian (ESU) and Islamic Federation forces".

GZG new 15mm 8-wheeled combat vehicles
Fire Support/Tank Killer, turretted MICV, "battle taxi" APC

GZG 15mm 8-wheeled turretted MICV

My personal favourite, this 8 wheeled MICV could replace the Roskopf 1/87th Spahpanzer Luchs of my youth that I mentioned in an earlier post. I can already see it providing support to some new Roco Minitank Wiesals.

Jon continues..."Then, from the opposite end of the tech scale, we have some new High Tech (or should that be Ultra Tech?) Grav Armour; in a distinctly different style from our other Grav releases, these will give you a new force option if you want to do high-vs-high tech battles".

New GZG 15mm Ultra-tech AFV family
heavy tank, infantry assault carrier, missile support vehicle

"The first three items in this new "family" are a heavy tank with a huge fusion cannon, an assault infantry carrier and a missile support vehicle with two 4-round launcher units mounted in the hull. The perfect armour unit to carry and support your crack Orbital Assault Marines!"

Can 15mm Sci Fi get any sexier!

"These are all shots of some basecoated first-off castings from the new moulds; no codes or names yet, but they will be fully listed soon along with prices; the costs are not decided yet, but will probably be in the region of £6 - £7 for the wheeled vehicles and £8 - £9 for the big Gravs. As with all our 15mm range, these are ALL METAL minis in kit form, and for size reference they are all pictures on a centimetre-grid cutting mat".

Jon (GZG)

Jon will have a small number of these new vehicles at HAMMERHEAD in Newark on Sunday and they will be available online to the rest of us ground pounders in a few days time.

Cheers
Mark