Patrick Lin discusses the ethical impact of new biological and exoskeleton enhancements to soldiers.
Soldiers will soon be able to crawl up and down walls like a real life Gecko or the fictional Spiderhttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17555522#editor/target=post;postID=9032631527705685216man. They will have the technology to stick and unstick with hands and feet to walls. This was also shown in the most recent Mission Impossible movie. However, to utilize this capability still requires extreme physical fitness.
Now a soldier would have to use ropes and ladders. There are lightweight and portable systems.
Previously we had looked at another DARPA program where a persons metabolism would be altered the way a sled dog alters its metabolism. This would enable usage of stored fat. In theory a soldier could overeat and have extra body fat then flip the metabolism to fat burning and not have to eat for a couple of months. They would flip the metabolism back to normal later. I think the advantages of such capabilities are only for a few commando situations. The far greater impact would be to enable a new approach to combat obesity.
I think the early exoskeletons will only have marginal military impact. The system would have more military impact if it works well enough for the soldier to carry a far heavier gun that currently required a squad to move and operate. Even then we do have planes and tanks.
Heavier and better personal armor will just mean that there will be an arms race to use more powerful guns.
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.