Human Universal Load Carrier

Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is an un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton developed by Professor H. Kazerooni[1][2] and his team at Ekso Bionics.

After being under development at Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory since 2000,[3] the system was announced publicly at the AUSA Winter Symposium on February 26, 2009, when an exclusive licensing agreement was reached with Lockheed Martin.

The upgraded HULC system includes optimized control software, extended battery life and human factors improvements for quicker and easier sizing to each user.

[8] In May 2012, Lockheed announced a lighter and energy-efficient HULC, with power to last eight hours on marches or days just standing, would go for field tests by the Army in September.

[10] The US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.1M contract in July 2010 for test & evaluation of upgraded HULC units.

The system's titanium structure and hydraulic power augments the soldier's ability, strength and performance, whereas its modularity allows components to be switched and replaced with ease.

Most recently, the HULC has been evaluated at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts, US, with the upgraded system including extended battery life and optimised control software.