As the development of new technologies to create the future’s super soldiers, the U.S. Army is now testing the Warrior Web Exosuit at the Aberdeen at the Soldier Performance and Equipment Advanced Research (SPEAR) facility at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Funded by DARPA with Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

First announced in 2014, the research collaboration is aimed at creating a “soft” exosuit as compared to their exoskeleton projects in which the prototypes look like robotic legs and not more humanlike. Exoskeletons are seen as important equipment for special operations as they will allow soldiers to carry far more than what their bodies can and avoid injuries that carrying head loads can cause. Exoskeletons can help avoid fatigue and soldiers to travel longer distances.

The Warrior Web Exosuit is more similar to a wet suit of a diver with no pieces of metal jutting out and every is in the garment. According to DARPA, the “suit will ultimately employ a system of closed-loop controlled actuation, transmission, and functional structures that protect injury prone areas, focusing on the soft tissues that connect and interface with the skeletal system.”

In a report posted at ShadowSpear, Maj. Christopher Orlowski, DARPA’s Warrior Web program manager said that, “In the longer term, the systems have benefits to be integrated into larger Soldier systems and can be integrated with other capabilities to provide a marked advantage for our Soldiers and our warfighters in the future.” He further adds that, “I think it will take at least another five to 10 years to be ready for the infantry Soldier.”

The most recent prototype is more user-friendly and includes more functional apparel which is connected to the series of compact actuators with control systems that adapt to the individual. What the Wyss Institute has been developing the soft exosuit as set of smart clothing that can be used with the soldier’s gear. Thus, a more human-like soldier with an exosuit is seen, though many would find a rather more robotic looking soldier in an exoskeleton as seen in movies would look more fearsome.

The researchers have tested and gathered massive amounts of data when they tested these with a group soldiers last April and June though we don’t yet when such results are published.