Combat parachute jumping is a high-risk activity, with significant potential for injuries that require time and resources to resolve, slowing the unit down, and increasing their risk of being attacked. The Army seeks the development of an exoskeleton system that mitigates Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) forces experienced by Warfighters with the goal of reducing injuries.
ExoJETS mitigates risk of injury by reducing descent velocity moments before touchdown (A). Musculoskeletal simulations of a thrust-decelerated descent (B) used to design the system indicate that descent velocities can be reduced up to 40% (C) with resulting muscle strain less than walking.