Rostec has developed exoskeletons for combat suits which have been already tested by the Russian Army under combat environment conditions. These have displayed high efficiency. A fully operative passive exoskeleton significantly increases physical abilities of a soldier, protects joints and the spine and can be adjusted to the height of a particular soldier.

The exoskeletons are developed by TSNIITOCHMASH (the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building, part of Rostec State Corporation) and GB Engineering.

The exoskeleton is made of lightweight carbon fibre and supports the musculoskeletal system when a person carries weights up to 50 kg (packs, special gear, armaments and ammunition) during long marches and assaults. It is a mechanical device with levers and swivels in the shape of human joints.

Unlike active exoskeletons, the passive exoskeleton has no power sources, servomotors, electronics and various sensors. This makes it more reliable and light (four to eight kg depending on the configuration). It is absolutely autonomous, and easy to maintain.

"This prototype has already been tested during real military operations. The exoskeleton was tested by special detachments of the Russian Ministry of Defence and Internal Affairs bodies in years 2017-2018. In addition, an active exoskeleton is also being designed, and its working prototype has already been made by Rostec's enterprise. It is going to be presented at one of the nearest exhibitions," says industrial director of the Armament Cluster of Rostec Sergey Abramov.

Rostec Corporation is a Russian corporation that was established in 2007 to facilitate the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products designed for civilian and military applications. The corporation comprises over 700 organisations that are currently part of eleven holding companies operating in the military-industrial complex and four holding companies working in civilian industry, as well as over 80 directly managed organisations. (SV)