Researchers Develop 'Third Arm' for Soldiers on the Battlefield

Researchers have come up with a device called the Third Arm that will help soldiers carry their weapons.

The Third Arm, according to Defense News, wraps around one side of a soldier's waist and attaches to his tactical pack. An extension in front attaches to a weapon.

The thought behind the device, which was on display this week at the Association of the U.S. Army Global Force Symposium, is to lighten the load on a soldier's arms and shoulders and distribute the weapon's weight more evenly.

The Third Arm exoskeleton will "increase soldier lethality, while reducing soldier burden," mechanical engineer Zac Wingard told Defense News.

The device weighs 4 pounds and is made of carbon fiber. The current prototype, which took a year to develop, can hold a weapon that weighs 20 pounds.

The plan is for the engineering team to now build a more rugged version of the prototype.

The Third Arm is just one of several pieces of high-tech equipment the military is developing. A story in January discussed mini drones that are now able to swarm and fly together in formation.

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