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Chapter 539: Trial Type 1
🕑 Added 2023-09-07 09:10:41 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Next, Wang Jun took a few steps up and down, bouncing with enthusiasm.
Then he briskly walked and even jogged back and forth in the small courtyard just set up below the laboratory, clearly hearing the sound of the mechanical joints moving.
"We made some simple modifications to some key areas during our previous tests, making it more flexible than before!" a young researcher, standing beside Sun Cheng, exclaimed with excitement.
His name was Zhen Dao, one of the two doctoral students Sun Cheng had recruited from Professor Chen Yuan's team. He was a young man with a passionate love for mecha products far exceeding Sun Cheng's own.
After the two sets of Exoskeleton mechas arrived at the laboratory, he was the first researcher to volunteer to join Sun Cheng's team and the first to request to wear the mechanical Exoskeleton armor to test its performance.
Sun Cheng had high hopes for Zhen Dao. This high-achieving graduate in mechanical engineering had already tested the Exoskeleton mecha twice, proposed multiple improvement ideas, and personally made adjustments to some joint positions, improving the sensitivity of the "Trial Type 1" model compared to before.
Don't underestimate this slight improvement; for a young man who had only been exposed to mechas for a short period of ten days or so, it was enough to demonstrate Zhen Dao's talent in this area.
Following that, Wang Jun began to throw punches like a professional boxer, executing uppercuts, left hooks, right hooks, and straight punches. Surprisingly, he displayed proper form, suggesting that he might have watched some boxing matches before.
Under the intense physical activity, the joints of his mechanical Exoskeleton armor produced continuous friction noises, but no problems occurred.
Cheers and applause erupted, but Wang Jun's face started to glisten with sweat, and he began to breathe heavily.
"Alright, Xiao Wang, that's enough... The Exoskeleton armor is designed to reduce the burden when carrying heavy loads after wearing it. You're not carrying any heavy objects now, but this armor itself weighs about ten kilograms!" Sun Cheng said after letting Wang Jun rest for a moment. "Let's move on to the weightlifting test!"
Sun Cheng originally planned to develop the mechanical Exoskeleton armor for military use only. However, recently, other researchers from the Intelligent Mechanics Laboratory, especially Zhen Dao, repeatedly suggested expanding into civilian applications. Zhen Dao even wrote a proposal for exploring and planning applications in the civilian sector, which made Sun Cheng realize the great potential of mechanical Exoskeletons in civilian applications.
For example, in the medical field, different models of mechanical Exoskeleton armor could enable patients with muscle atrophy diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to regain the ability to walk. Even some disabled individuals could potentially regain the ability to walk and work.
In the industrial sector, workers equipped with mechanical Exoskeleton armor could effortlessly lift loads of dozens of kilograms. After further improvements, lifting loads exceeding a hundred kilograms wouldn't be a difficult task.
However, in modern times, humans had already invented industrial handling vehicles like forklifts, capable of easily moving tons of cargo. While forklifts had their limitations, Sun Cheng didn't see the competition between mechanical Exoskeletons and industrial handling vehicles heating up in the short term.
Nonetheless, he still supported the research team in conducting in-depth research. Industrial handling vehicles were too specialized and had various limitations. With examples of industrial robots created by Decepticon engineers, there was hope for more mature technology in the future.
Perhaps hearing about the upcoming test of the mechanical Exoskeleton armor, some researchers from other research groups in the Intelligent Mechanics Laboratory who had spare time also rushed out from the office building. The courtyard below quickly filled with onlookers.
Seeing familiar faces in the crowd, along with the few retired soldiers who were on duty outside the laboratory, Sun Cheng didn't discourage others from watching.
In one corner of the courtyard, four alloy boxes filled with bricks were neatly arranged. These were specially prepared for testing the "Trial Type 1" Exoskeleton armor. Each box weighed around 38 kilograms.
Wang Jun, seeming to have gradually adapted to the "Trial Type 1" Exoskeleton on his body, walked over to the four metal boxes as requested.
Because he wore devices similar to alloy gloves on his hands, it was challenging to handle objects without slipping due to friction.
The research team had already noticed this issue, and Zhen Dao planned to redesign the alloy gloves in the next phase, grinding metal particles or adding patterns on the fingertips and palm to prevent slippage.
Until then, to prevent this issue, the four alloy boxes in the courtyard were specially customized with special handles.
For the "Trial Type 1" Exoskeleton armor, a weight of approximately 38 kilograms was not considered heavy.
Wang Jun, looking somewhat clumsy, walked up to one of the boxes, bent down, and tried to lift it with force.
"Huh!"
He grunted lightly, then looked embarrassed.
"Um, I feel like the Exoskeleton should add some weight to both arms..."
A weight of nearly 40 kilograms could be lifted by an adult male. However, for someone like Wang Jun, a STEM major who wasn't particularly athletic, it was still somewhat challenging.
This was actually a shortcoming of all the mechanical Exoskeleton armors currently available on the market, including the HULC being tested by the U.S. military. The emphasis was primarily on back support, using a mechanical spine and a few steel axles on the back to increase the lifting capacity of the arms only to a limited extent.
"Don't worry; we're currently considering adding a set of drive shafts to both arms..." Zhen Dao chuckled.
"If we change the material of the cargo boxes to metal, we can design an electromagnetic adhesion system for them. This will significantly enhance the lifting capacity of the arms compared to using drive shafts!"
No one on the side made fun of Wang Jun. The researchers who had already worn the "Trial Type 1" armor had all encountered this issue before, and they were genuinely thinking about how to improve it.
Sun Cheng was very pleased with this atmosphere. Collective brainstorming was indeed more powerful than individual wisdom. While designing the Exoskeleton armor, he had considered many factors, but there were still various issues to address.
Some problems had already been identified and were being addressed, and suggestions for improvements on the mechanical Exoskeleton armor were increasing.
This was a promising start!
Wang Jun, wearing the "Trial Type 1" Exoskeleton, followed the tester's instructions to move back and forth for over an hour before becoming exhausted and sitting on one of the alloy boxes like a dead dog.
"Let's end today's test here. We've also discovered several issues with the 'Trial Type 1' mechanical Exoskeleton armor that need improvement," Sun Cheng said. "The first phase of testing ends here. In the next month, I need you all to work on resolving the identified issues and further perfecting it..."
"If you have the energy, there are enough materials and equipment in the laboratory for you to DIY a new mecha set!"
"Of course, due to security considerations, we won't be opening up access to you for the full electric drive system, Lithium-Air Battery, and Control Chip for now."
"But I will gradually provide you with more Core technologies in the future. That's it!"
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 540: X-1
