Exoskeleton

Revision as of 16:20, 7 July 2011 by 66.51.147.57 (talk)

Description

Exoskeletons are specialized mechanical suits, weighing between 80 to 400 kilograms, that increase the strength, speed and other attributes of the wearer. Often used for industrial applications, Exoskeletons may also be utilized for warfighting, where they are commonly known as Power Armor (Light) or PA(L).[1]

The first exoskeletons were extremely primitive machines, slow and clumsy and limited to hydraulics for motion. However, the invention of Myomer in the 24th Century provided a means of making Exoskeletons more efficient. Research efforts by the Star League resulted in a number of technological advances, such as control systems that were more responsive to the user, which soon allowed Exoskeletons to explode onto the civilian market. Exoskeletons found a myriad of uses, from construction and mining to search and rescue and firefighting.[2]

Exoskeletons similarly found use for military applications. The first combat exoskeleton, the Nighthawk, was one of SLDF’s most closely guarded secrets, in part because of its use by special forces. That secret would remain following the Exodus and subsequent Succession Wars, although examples of the Nighthawk wound up in the care of ComStar and serve as inspiration for the Tornado. The Clans would continue the use of Exoskeletons to survive the harsh Pentagon Worlds, one of which, an underwater submersible used by Clan Goliath Scorpion, would serve as the basis upon which Battle Armor would be built. Within the Inner Sphere civilian Exoskeletons remain ubiquitous, especially with the return of the Clans, and a number of battlefield and gladiatorial designs have since be created.[2]

Categories

References

  1. TechManual, p.161
  2. 2.0 2.1 Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex, p. 180

Bibliography