"Okay, the Spider Web Weaver project has come to an end for now. Youxin and the others will be responsible for writing the web weaving module and optimizing the program."
After serving as a middleman to help both parties get to know each other, Xia Xu spoke to attract everyone's attention and said, "Next, I will announce our future research and development plans. Of course, anyone with different ideas and opinions can also raise them."
Zhou Ji and Walker naturally had no objection to this. After all, they were brought together because of Xia Xu, and the funding for the entire research team was also provided by Xia Xu.
"Everyone here is a top talent in mechanical engineering and electronic information, so forget about small projects. If we want to do research and development, let's do something challenging."
Xia Xu smiled slightly, and after a moment's thought, he said, "So, our main goal is - exoskeleton armor!"
"Wow! This is good, this is interesting."
"Haha, Brother Xu is still my type."
"Hehe, I knew that Brother Xu would not let us down."
Hearing Xia Xu's announcement, Zhou Jiwalker, Zhang Meng, Lu Dong and others cheered excitedly.
They were obviously very pleased with the result.
Weapons and vehicles, these are men’s romance, and the sci-fi concept of exoskeleton armor is a combination of the two. No teenager can resist its charm, and men are boys until they die.
When Xia Xu just said that he was going to announce future research and development plans, they actually felt a little doubtful and uneasy.
After such a long time, they were naturally no longer ignorant of Xia Xu's identity. They naturally knew that he was the boss of Xinghai Group, and they also knew that he had made a lot of research and development investments outside the Xinghai research group.
This is a successful and talented businessman and the president of a group.
From a businessman's perspective, what would be the most appropriate thing for them to study
Whatever the answer is, it is definitely not exoskeleton armor or high-end robots.
Why is exoskeleton armor still just a science fiction concept
It’s not that it’s impossible to do, but it’s not practical, the cost-effectiveness is too low, and there are too many defects.
In fact, if the requirements are not too high, it is very simple for current technology to only realize basic concepts such as armor protection and increased strength.
To enhance limb strength, there are various ready-made motors and hydraulic components. In terms of energy, batteries and fuel are sufficient for short-term support. For control, there are electromyography sensors, torque sensors, etc., which are more than enough to achieve somatosensory interaction.
If you want to make a simple exoskeleton armor, you don’t need any experts. A small company composed of a few top students, or even just a technical geek tinkering in private, can make it.
For example, there are several small companies in China that are developing this, and the finished products have been on TV shows. There were also reports in the island country that a technical geek built his own mecha.
In the United States and other Western countries, there are many idle wealthy people, technology geeks, and extreme sports enthusiasts who specialize in this. Some people even made jet wing suits similar to exoskeletons and flew over Tianmen Mountain.
Unfortunately, this so-called exoskeleton armor can be used in combat, and it would be good enough if it does not affect movement.
It can increase strength, but it can only achieve simple lifting and lifting, the movements are slow and you can't even run.
Moreover, due to the limitation that many components cannot be miniaturized, no matter how it is designed, it is either bulky and bloated or has a rigid structure, which in turn affects limb movement.
As for the flying ability, to put it bluntly, it is just spending money to install a few micro jet engines, so that you can fly for a while or refer to the simple flight of airplanes and wing suits.
But if we really want to make an exoskeleton armor like the ones in science fiction movies, not to mention that the hardware cannot be miniaturized to that extent, the energy endurance alone is a problem.
In short, exoskeleton armor can be made now, but the industrial foundation does not meet the standards, and what is produced can only be used as toys or civilian auxiliary equipment.
Civilian equipment is only theoretical. If you really need to move heavy objects, there are already a series of ready-made tools such as forklifts and cranes. There is no need for an expensive and impractical exoskeleton. If you really have the money, it would be better to use an industrial robotic arm.
Therefore, if we really consider it from the perspective of commercial investment, there is a high probability that we will lose all our money if we research this thing. The private sector develops this thing either out of interest or as an investment in dreams and the future.
Rather than asking them to research these, it would obviously be more promising to study some existing, less advanced commercial products, such as vehicle-related technologies and industrial production-related technologies.
Because of this, Zhang Meng and Zhou Ji were actually a little worried at that moment, fearing that they would have to undertake boring and uninteresting projects, and they would not be able to refuse or agree to them.
"Okay, don't get too excited too soon. The powered exoskeleton is only a long-term goal. Our short-term goal is an unpowered exoskeleton."
Xia Xu interrupted the excited cheers of the male team members and poured a bucket of cold water on them.
Exoskeleton armor in the conventional sense should refer to powered exoskeleton armor, which enhances human mobility through energy and power.
But now the industrial base of Aquamarine is here. Although there should be a lot of black technology hidden, there is no way to know and obtain it before it is exposed.
With Zhou Ji, Zhang Meng and others, plus Walker, the protagonist of "The Mechanic", it is still possible to research powered exoskeletons that can be used in actual combat, but this is destined to be a long process.
So his short-term goal is an unpowered exoskeleton, or a set of protective equipment that can be worn at all times.
As the name suggests, an unpowered exoskeleton is a concept that is opposite to a powered exoskeleton.
In fact, many countries are now researching exoskeleton armor and have achieved corresponding results.
However, due to the reasons mentioned above, the final research and development direction of these exoskeleton armors has basically turned to unpowered exoskeletons, also known as passive exoskeletons, and each has mature results.
As the name suggests, it is an exoskeleton that has no energy power and only relies on structure, material and mechanics to achieve its effect.
The most essential meaning of the word exoskeleton comes from the shell of crustaceans. The human skeleton inside the body is called endoskeleton, while the skeletons of animals such as crabs and beetles are outside the body, so they are called exoskeletons.
The effects of the two are similar. The most basic function is to support the body and guide and disperse gravity and impact force. The exoskeleton can also serve an additional protective purpose.
A passive exoskeleton is one that does not rely on energy or power devices, but instead relies on materials and structures to disperse the forces on the body, thereby improving load-bearing capacity, reducing physical exertion, assisting in force, and reducing muscle and bone strain.
Of course, a full-coverage design can also enhance the body's surface defense capabilities, and relying on mechanical structure to store energy can also have the effect of enhancing limb strength. The specific details depend on the design.
This passive exoskeleton does not require energy or power structure, which eliminates the most bloated part of the exoskeleton armor and makes it extremely light.
And because the overall structure is not complicated, the passive exoskeleton will basically not affect the movement, and will only have purely positive gains. The cost can be compressed to an extremely low level because there are no many high-tech electronic components.
It can be said that passive exoskeleton is the most practical form of exoskeleton armor based on current technology.
And this is exactly what Xia Xu needs.
The last time they destroyed the Gardner Mental Hospital, they offended many of Gardner's people and their identities were also leaked. Once they have recovered, they will definitely take revenge.
Apart from anything else, a group of special defense force gunmen posed a deadly threat to him.
So now he needs a set of protective equipment, and it must be protective equipment that can be worn at any time, or at least carried with him.
No matter how powerful a powered exoskeleton is, it is difficult to carry it with you, let alone wear it all day long like a lunatic. Development is also a long process.
In this case, a simple and practical passive exoskeleton is his best choice.
At worst, it would be a good idea to get a lighter protective suit. As long as it can be worn close to the body and is bulletproof, combined with the early warning of the Bai Ze system, at least small-scale fire conflicts will not pose a fatal threat to him.