Researchers are progressing in the development of wearables, electronically responsive exoskeleton system or exosystems, which will one day be capable of competing with the famous Iron Man suit. These exoskeletons can upgrade a human’s power, their mobility, agility, and endurance. As a result, they are especially useful for soldiers in the field. These systems are being tested for use on the battlefield where army personnel has to achieve focused tactical maneuvers while carrying heavy equipment. However, the question is, if wearing this exoskeleton will be affecting the soldier’s cognitive abilities as well.
MIT researched this question and found the answer. Leia Stirling, Assistant Professor in MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department, said, “In a military exoskeleton, soldiers are supposed to be scanning for enemies in the environment, making sure where other people in their squad are, monitoring a whole variety of things. You don’t want them to have to focus on how they’re stepping because of the exoskeleton. That’s why I was interested in how much attention these technologies require.”
The research was carried out on active-duty members of the military or the participants in a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit while completing an obstacle course and produced this video. Watch the video to see how these wearables are going to affect human decision making in the future.
