Welcome to Gaia! ::

MJOLNIR

Powered Exoskeleton

The powered Exoskeleton used in the MJOLNIR Battle Suit is essentially a modified Hal Suit, with separated physical sensors and the exoskeleton placed beneath the armor.

The suit operates rather simply in application. The bio-electrical sensors attached to the skin read the signals produced by the bodies nervous system, among other things, and the computer immediately analyzes how much power the wearer intends to generate to be capable of scaling up to apply itself. This is of course, completed a fraction of a second earlier than the muscles actually move (in most humans, although even those who super human reflexes most likely can't respond faster than the computer can process).

A human motion (for example standing up from a chair) can be recognized as an aggregate of several elemental movements. It looks as if a sentence consists of several words. "HAL" has the data base where such movements are stored and linked to a certain motion as a dictionary lists words. Using the data base (which is also automatically updated by the information that sensors collect from the body) "HAL" autonomously coordinate each motion to be assisted smoothly by power units. Furthermore, in the case that no "good" bio-electrical signals are detectable due to some problems in the central nervous system or in the muscles, "HAL" can be of use through the Robotic Autonomous Control.

The Hal suit lacks both the visual stimulation of the ordinary LED lights associated with it, uses the on board computer of the MJOLNIR suit in conjunction with it's own computer, and is comprised of a titanium-stainless-steel composition which increases it's durability, rather than plastic. The material is also slightly differently shaped, being refitted to fit within the MJOLNIR suit and is powered by the on-board Stirling radioisotope generator, eliminating the need for an extraneous power source. The suit itself is capable of producing up to a 230 Kg (500 lb) static hold and exertion of energy for the upper and a total of 460 Kg (1000 lb) for lower body pieces; which is indefinite as long as as power source is supplied.

While the suit of armor is more or less a flat addition of strength (for both static holds and for maximum exertion), when running the suit allows the user a rather interesting set of scenarios. While the suit does or can increase speed by a flat rate (26 mph to regular running speed, if so desired, although a flat rate of an extra 18 mph meets the constant energy requirement without requiring reserve energy) it also allows for a unit to increase their maximum movement by speed by roughly 250%. This means that should a person exert a certain amount of their own chemical energy to increase their speed, then the suit allows the user to not simply add this units own speed to flat increase of speed, but to increase it exponentially. This is partially achieved by the computer analyzing nervous signals in the body and responding to it, the addition of the users own forward momentum, and the increased efficiency if a user applies their own energy. If a person were to exert no energy themselves they would be capable of a constant 18 mph run. Should a person, however, exert their energy (such as an 8 mph jog) the system focuses less energy on the movement of the legs and more energy on each "bound". As well, if a person extends their legs past the range of normal walking, then the suit generates more forward acceleration, which transfers into momentum and allows a user to use a constant addition of their own energy to speed up the machine, in process allowing the machine to speed up the user. While this system is less efficient for someone moving under the speed of what would normally be 6 mph (as 6 x 2.5 = 15, rather than the constant acceleration of 18 mph) at faster speeds, such as the equivalent of 10 mph for normal human exertion, the system allows the user a run speed of roughly 25 miles per hour. This means that, should a user be able to run a 6 minute mile without the suit, with the suit they would be capable of running a mile in roughly 2 minutes and 24 seconds. Conversely, should a person maintain a sprint of 20 mph, they would instead by capable of running at 50 mph. Due to the fact that a person is fully capable of adding additional levels of energy to the running (a sustained speed of 18 mph can translate to much higher speeds is reserve energy is used, such as a 26 mph ingrained maximum) a unit may potentially increase their additional increase in speed to around 330%, increasing the level of their running efficiency. However, this requires reserve energy, and is dependent on how much reserve energy is left and the duration of the running time desired. This system also allows for an increase of reaction time, around 300% normally, and 380% if extra energy is used. The reaction time is actually improved by using the machine to move the body as soon as the neurological impulse is detected rather than waiting and timing the response for the muscle movements. If the suit is purely used in mechanical reflexive movements, and not in conjunction with the body, then this reaction time can be some tens of times higher, however this is dangerous as the machine might move too fast for the body to respond, potentially breaking bones or damaging organ systems.

The information above, is of course, calibrated with the weight of the entire MJOLNIR armor system attached. It is not rated, however, for extraneous weight.

The entire system weighs roughly 25 Kg or 55 lb. Although it lacks both a battery and the extra weight associated with an extraneous computer system (as all computer information is stored in a single area), it's titanium-stainless-steel construction increases it's weight accordingly.





Shock Absorbers
Shock absorbers are an important part of automobile and motorcycle suspensions, aircraft landing gear, and the supports for many industrial machines. Large shock absorbers have also been used in structural engineering to reduce the susceptibility of structures to earthquake damage and resonance. A transverse mounted shock absorber, called a yaw damper, helps keep railcars from swaying excessively from side to side and are important in passenger railroads, commuter rail and rapid transit systems because they prevent railcars from damaging station platforms.

In the MJOLNIR armor suit, the passive shock absorbence reduces the effect of traveling over rough ground, leading to improved movement quality, and increase in comfort due to substantially reduced amplitude of disturbances. Without shock absorbers, the suit might have a bouncing ride, as energy is stored in the spring and then released to the suit, possibly exceeding the allowed range of suspension movement. Control of excessive suspension movement without shock absorption requires stiffer (higher rate) springs, which would in turn give a harsh ride. Shock absorbers allow the use of soft (lower rate) springs while controlling the rate of suspension movement in response to bumps. They also help reduce the energy impact of landings or exertion, dampening the felt energy of falling or of impacts.

Spring-based shock absorbers commonly use coil springs or leaf springs, though torsion bars can be used in torsional shocks as well. Ideal springs alone, however, are not shock absorbers as springs only store and do not dissipate or absorb energy. Vehicles typically employ both springs or torsion bars as well as hydraulic shock absorbers. In this combination, "shock absorber" is reserved specifically for the hydraulic piston that absorbs and dissipates vibration.

Extraneous Information

Hazmat Suit- A Hazmat suit is a garment worn as protection from hazardous materials or substances. The Hazmat suit is generally combined with a breathing apparatus for protection and may be used by firefighters, emergency personnel responding to toxic spills, researchers, specialists cleaning up contaminated facilities, or workers in toxic environments.

Technically, the suit is a CBRN, or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear protection suit, given it's military affiliation, although it's capabilities are practically the same as a Hazmat suit. The suit is also Technically a level A suit, one that provides the highest level of protection against vapors, gases, mists, and particles. It consists of a fully encapsulating chemical entry suit with a full-facepiece self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or a supplied air respirator (SAR) with an SCBA escape cylinder. A crew member must also wear boots with steel toes or other forms of protection (such as Kevlar or various forms of body armor) and shanks on the outside of the suit and specially selected chemical-resistant gloves for this level of protection. The breathing apparatus is worn inside (encapsulated within) the suit. To qualify as Level A protection, an intrinsically safe two-way radio is also worn inside the suit, often incorporating voice-operated microphones and an earpiece speaker for monitoring the operations channel.

The suit is constructed of several layers and, being air tight, includes a release valve so the suit does not overinflate from air exhaled by the SCBA. The release valve does retain some air to keep some positive pressure ("overpressure") inside the suit. As noted, such suits are usually limited to just 15-20 minutes of use by their mobile air supply. However, given the rebreather, constantly powered air filter and condenser, and larger tank, the suit is capable of a nearly indefinite supply of clean air, although this is dependent on the power source.

Essentially, the suit disallows almost any kind of agent to reach the body, effectively disallowing the majority of known indirect harmful substances to damage the wearer. While this system requires air tanks, compressors, several filters, many layers, and ways to deal with the emissions of the human body, it is extraordinarily effective as stopping harmful substances from damaging the user.


Re-breather- A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where humans cannot safely breathe from the atmosphere. In the armed forces it is sometimes called "CCUBA" (Closed Circuit Underwater Breathing Apparatus).

The main advantage of the rebreather over other breathing equipment is the rebreather's economical use of gas. With open circuit scuba, the entire breath is expelled into the surrounding water when the diver exhales. A breath inhaled from an open circuit scuba system whose cylinders are filled with ordinary air is about 21% oxygen. When that breath is exhaled back into the surrounding environment, it has an oxygen level in the range of 15 to 16% when the diver is at atmospheric pressure. This leaves the available oxygen utilization at about 25%; the remaining 75% is lost.

At depth, the advantage of a rebreather is even more marked. Since the generation of CO2 is directly related to the body's consumption of O2 (about ~99.5% of O2 is converted to CO2 on exhalation), the amount of O2 consumption doesn't change, therefore CO2 generation doesn't change. This means that at depth, the diver is not using any more of the O2 gas supply than when shallower. This is a marked difference from open circuit where the amount of gas used is directly proportional to the depth.

Essentially the re breather allows for a total of eight hours of disconnected breath from a normally inhabitable environment. The air which is fed into the scuba tanks attached to the re breather is filtered roughly three times through three separate Hazmat grade air filters and electronic gas mask like filters. These devices ensures that clean air is filtered into the air tanks, and ensure that the user is breathing from an apparatus which has had air in it that's been compressed and filtered a number of times before the user breathes it. The device can operate as long as it has a steady stream of electricity, and unlike un-electrical devices, can operate nearly indefinitely.




Ambient Identification Sensor- In order to identify the existence and location of ambient moving objects, the MJOLNIR battle suit incorporates a form of sonar similar to both bird and fish finding sonar. The sonar tracks movement, sending out a pulse of high frequency sound waves throughout the air and measuring the displacment in order to retrieve information on the location of moving targets. While the Sonar is capable of detecting all forms of objects-even close to mapping- within a specific area, it mostly is used to detect the presence of moving objects, to indicate possibly hostile forces. The sensitivity of the device can be altered according to the users discretion, although usually it's used to measure anything moving at .25 mph or more. Additionally, the sensor is capable of detecting roughly 256 moving targets at a given time. The sonar gives off roughly 20 pulses per second. The sonar reveals location in direct relevance to the user, meaning that if the sonar picks up ambient movement, it will reveal the movement and direction of movement in relation to the user. The sonar is good for nearly 100 meters, and due to it's incredibly high frequency is capable of penetrating the equivalent of 10 feet of concrete- this of course, severely decreases the range.

A completely irrelevant system, which appears on the scanner, is also present. A small radio signal of a particular frequency and code is sent out for a distance of 100 meters, after which it is usually terminated. This radio signal is expected to be received by any identification microchip that is relevant to the signal. The chips which receive this information reveal themselves in a pre-established color of choice, appearing within the same relevant distance on the sonar scanner. While this method of scanning is not technically sonar, and is merely intended to reveal the locations of implanted identification chips (usually in the armor) and it's relevant location appears on the sonar scanner.

Fire Control Radar- A fire-control radar is a radar which is designed specifically to provide information (mainly target azimuth, elevation, range and velocity) to a fire-control system in order to calculate a firing solution (i.e. information on how to direct weapons such that they hit the target(s)). The radar emits a narrow, intense beam of radio waves to ensure accurate tracking information and to minimize the chance of losing track of the target. The radar has a track-while-scan capability enabling it to function simultaneously as a fire-control radar and a search radar. This works by having the radar switch between sweeping the search sector and sending directed pulses at the target to be tracked.

The fire-control radar must be directed to the general location of the target due to the radar’s narrow beam width. This phase ends when lock-on is acquired. Then, the fire-control radar switches to the acquisition phase of operation once the radar is in the general vicinity of the target. During this phase, the radar system searches in the designated area in a predetermined search pattern until the target is located or redesignated. The fire-control radar enters into the track phase when the target is located. The radar system locks onto the target during this phase. This phase terminates when a new target is identified or the old one is deemed successfully neutralized or destroyed.

The system is viable up to 5 Kilometers in ideal situations, however it is usually limited to a maximum of 1-3 Kilometers for successful target acquisition.





GPS- A unit has the fully capability of using a Global Positioning System, By a Satellite or other system, to track their position or reveal their location. They can either use this system to track there whereabouts methodically in a relevant topographical simulation, or they can use the positioning system to broadcast a radio signal of their position. The broadcast can be used to identify the position of the user to Third and Second parties, allowing other users a way to identify their position in relative to themselves. Revealing one's location to another unit can be beneficial for many reasons, as it can be used as a call for help, a way to identify an important location, or simply to provides a way for other units to trace your steps.

The GPS system can use either Global Positioning Satellites of various origins or other systems (typically planes) which actively map and identify the topographical area. The Positioning system is essentially self recording map with an active electronic compass that plots the course of the unit, and then relays this in accordance with the topographical data in order to reveal the current position of the unit and their path. In this application it is essentially a navigation system, although traditional methods can be exploited, with this as as supplement or simply disregarded.



Round Counter- The round counter is essentially a electronic device, appropriately named the “Black Box”, which can record and store a rifle’s round count and firing sequences. In addition, the FN Black Box contains digital identifiers for the weapon. This means that, when coupled to a GPS, the FN Black Box can transmit the gun’s ID and location to a military command or other monitoring authority.

The FN Black Box can record multiple types of firing data: round count, burst rates, burst lengths, and firing sequences. The digital sensors can even detect stoppages due to failures to cycle. In addition, by tracking the numbers of rounds fired, military commanders can determine when ammunition resupply is required or when barrels need replacement.

The Say Uncle Blog notes that while this kind of digital recorder may seem novel for weapons, “the same concept is often applied to industrial machines”, allowing factory owners to optimize maintenance schedules.

Essentially, the device can be attached to most weapons, and information is transmitted to the user wirelessly via a wireless USB card. This information is then processed by the users computer, and he can view this information on his HUD if the wearer so desires. As the system is available for multiple weapons systems, a user need only choose which rounds to check in which weapons systems to be able definitively check the rounds per weapon of choice.



Reserve Energy- Battery- The suit produces an enormous amount of energy measured on a second by second basis, which can last reliably for over 20 years with little to no degradation in performance. This of course, is useful for a long term power source- however, it is can be expected that the suit is not always required to preform at full power, while sometimes it would beneficial to preform at much higher levels than the maximum wattage output allows. Becuase of this, several electrical storage devices, intended for short term use are integrated into the suit.

The batteries are made from Lithium Ion, and vary in size, distribution, and the level of separation, as they exist mainly under the armor in the same variable shape. In the end, however, it ends up being closing to 20 Kilograms in weight, and capable of storing roughly 4000 watt hours of energy.



Imaging Camera- The helmet incorporates two internal video cameras placed next to both the right and left side of the head. The Cameras are capable of seeing in many different spectrums of light, being used for Night Vision, Thermal, Infrared, Ultraviolet, and of course normal daytime lighting conditions. The lenses of the Cameras are capable of adjusting variable levels polarization and thus can be used to compensate for differing levels of glare and other forms of light reflection and protection. The differing levels of glare also produce an effect similar to those in sun glasses, allowing them to reduce or increase the amount of light coming within the lenses. The Cameras are essentially used to monitor visual conditions in many different applications, allowing them to operate successfully in different levels of light and over-all visibility. The information recorded by the Cameras can be stored in the Hard Drive of the unit, however, typically it is wirelessly connected with a Command station of some kind, whom records it in great detail there, rather than use the information of the suit. Each unit has about 10 minutes of recall regardless of the amount of visual recording they commit to permanent memory. As well, the cameras are attached too scopes, allowing them to "zoom in" or magnify the size of targets. This application is suitable for ranges between .5 and 48 times regular magnification. Despite it's somewhat high magnification possibilities, it does not exhibit a "microscope" effect and as such the intended magnified target must be of some distance away.

The image of what the Cameras view are usually displayed on the liquid crystal display of he HUD, in the center of the device. When displayed, the image usually doesn't incorporate the full view extending out into the peripherals, although this is possible. As the peripherals are left open, a unit can basically see what is right in front of them with little trouble and still reveal the other extraneous HUD information which does not go into the middle.


Dialysis Machine- In medicine, Dialysis (from Greek "dialusis", meaning dissolution, "dia", meaning through, and "lysis", meaning loosening) is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for kidney function. Dialysis may be used for those with an acute disturbance in kidney function (acute kidney injury, previously acute renal failure) or for those with progressive but chronically worsening kidney function–a state known as chronic kidney disease stage 5 (previously chronic renal failure or end-stage kidney disease). The latter form may develop over months or years, but in contrast to acute kidney injury is not usually reversible, and dialysis is regarded as a "holding measure" until a renal transplant can be performed, or sometimes as the only supportive measure in those for whom a transplant would be inappropriate.

The kidneys have important roles in maintaining health. When healthy, the kidneys maintain the body's internal equilibrium of water and minerals (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfate). Those acidic metabolism end products that the body cannot get rid of via respiration are also excreted through the kidneys. The kidneys also function as a part of the endocrine system producing erythropoietin and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol). Erythropoietin is involved in the production of red blood cells and calcitriol plays a role in bone formation. Dialysis is an imperfect treatment to replace kidney function because it does not correct the endocrine functions of the kidney. Dialysis treatments replace some of these functions through diffusion (waste removal) and ultrafiltration (fluid removal).

In the case of those in the MJOLNIR armor, while the user may not have failing kidneys, the system is still connected to the user. In times in which the Kidneys, or in other words the body, is under stress (such as running, or armed combat) the system works by aiding the Kidney's capabilities and maintaining homeostasis. In this case, the Dialysis machine works not to replace function, but to improve it. It helps to filter the blood, clean out fluids, and remove excess waste, as well as diffuses certain chemicals reducing the felt effect of increased bodily toxins in the body; some toxins of which, are excess materials created as a byproduct from prolonged over exertion of energy. In this manner, should a person be over stressed, their Kidneys will not be, allowing the user greater endurance and better long term performance. As well, should a units Kidneys fail in the field, they'll have automatic back-up for continued prolonged engagement. If exploited correctly, the user will also not require to go to the restroom for prolonged periods of time (although, the waste will need be emptied at some point).



Pacemaker- Permanent pacing with an implantable pacemaker involves transvenous placement of one or more pacing electrodes within a chamber, or chambers, of the heart. The procedure is performed by incision of a suitable vein into which the electrode lead is inserted and passed along the vein, through the valve of the heart, until positioned in the chamber. The procedure is facilitated by fluoroscopy which enables the physician or cardiologist to view the passage of the electrode lead. After satisfactory lodgement of the electrode is confirmed the opposite end of the electrode lead is connected to the pacemaker generator.

The type used in the MJOLNIR Armor System is a Rate-responsive pacemaker. This pacemaker has sensors that detect changes in the patient's physical activity and automatically adjust the pacing rate to fulfill the body's metabolic needs.

The pacemaker generator is a hermetically sealed device containing a power source, in this case Lithium Ion, a sensing amplifier which processes the electrical manifestation of naturally occurring heart beats as sensed by the heart electrodes, the computer logic for the pacemaker and the output circuitry which delivers the pacing impulse to the electrodes.

Most commonly, the generator is placed below the subcutaneous fat of the chest wall, above the muscles and bones of the chest. However, the placement may vary on a case by case basis.

The outer casing of pacemakers is so designed that it will rarely be rejected by the body's immune system. It is made of titanium, which is inert in the body. The whole thing will not be rejected, and will be encapsulated by scar tissue, in the same way a piercing is.

The most basic form monitors the heart's native electrical rhythm. When the pacemaker fails to sense a heartbeat within a normal beat-to-beat time period, it will stimulate the ventricle of the heart with a short low voltage pulse. This sensing and stimulating activity continues on a beat by beat basis. If the heart seems to fail all together, then after a pre-designated period of time, the pacemaker begins to accelerate the heart rate to that of a resting or pre-designated amount. This system is odd in the fact that it is one of the few systems in the MJOLNIR to be functional when completely disconnected from rest of the armor- how, it can get the majority of it's power from the suit.



Feeding Tube- A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to patients who cannot obtain nutrition by swallowing. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is called enteral feeding or tube feeding. Placement may be temporary for the treatment of acute conditions or lifelong in the case of chronic disabilities. A variety of feeding tubes are used in medical practice. They are usually made of polyurethane or silicone. The diameter of a feeding tube is measured in French units (each French unit equals 0.33 millimeters). They are classified by site of insertion and intended use.

In the case of the MJOLNIR units, the Tube feeding is emitted in case or in cases in which the unit is incapable of stopping to eat. The Tube Feeding usually consists of providing of water, vitamins, and salt pills. A gastric feeding tube (or "G-tube," or "button") is a tube inserted through a small incision in the abdomen into the stomach and is used for long-term enteral nutrition. One type is the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. It is placed endoscopically: the patient is sedated, and an endoscope is passed through the mouth and esophagus into the stomach. The position of the endoscope can be visualized on the outside of the patient's abdomen because it contains a powerful light source. A needle is inserted through the abdomen, visualized within the stomach by the endoscope, and a suture passed through the needle is grasped by the endoscope and pulled up through the esophagus. The suture is then tied to the end of the PEG tube that will be external, and pulled back down through the esophagus, stomach, and out through the abdominal wall. The insertion takes about 20 minutes. The tube is kept within the stomach either by a balloon on its tip (which can be deflated) or by a retention dome which is wider than the tract of the tube.

Gastric tubes are suitable for long-term use; they last about six months, and can be replaced through an existing passage without an additional endoscopic procedure. The G-tube is useful where there is difficulty with swallowing because of neurologic or anatomic disorders (stroke, esophageal atresia, tracheoesophageal fistula), and to avoid the risk of aspiration pneumonia. It is also used when patients are malnourished and cannot take enough food by mouth to maintain their weight, such as with mitochondrial disease and short bowel syndrome. Essentially, while not nearly as complex as intravenous feeding, it is suited for the long term, allows a person mixed feeding options, and heavily reduces the chance of an infection.



Winged suit- Wingsuit flying is the sport of flying the human body through the air using a special jumpsuit, called a wingsuit, which adds surface area to the human body to create lift. The wingsuit creates the surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms. A wingsuit may be referred to as a birdman suit or squirrel suit.

A long wingsuit flight ends with a parachute opening, so a wingsuit can be flown from any point that provides sufficient altitude to glide through the air, such as skydiving aircraft or BASE jumping exit points, and to allow a parachute to deploy.

The wingsuit flier wears parachute equipment designed for skydiving or BASE jumping. The flier deploys the parachute at a planned altitude and unzips the arm wings, if necessary, so they can reach up to the control toggles and fly to a normal parachute landing.

Alternatively, if no parachute is present, the unit can change from a horizontal position to a vertical one, drastically reducing the felt velocity. A maximum of -25 mph has been recorded; essentially, the air resistance was so great that at this point the person started to go backwards. While this technique is risky, difficult, and somewhat hard to preform, coupled with the extreme resilience of the suit slightly high or hard impacts result in a relatively minor inconvenience for the user- in many cases, unsurvivable speeds represent only a minor collision for a user of the entire MJOLNIR suit.

The wingsuit flier enters freefall wearing both a wingsuit and parachute equipment. Exiting an aircraft in a wingsuit requires skilled techniques that differ depending on the location and size of the aircraft door. These techniques include the orientation relative to the aircraft and the airflow while exiting, and the way in which the flier will spread his legs and arms at the proper time so as not to hit the aircraft or become unstable in the relative wind. The wingsuit will immediately start to fly upon exiting the aircraft in the relative wind generated by the forward speed of the aircraft. Exiting from a BASE jumping site, such as a cliff, or exiting from a helicopter or hot air balloon, is fundamentally different from exiting a moving aircraft as the initial wind speed upon exit is absent. In these situations a vertical drop using the forces of gravity to accelerate is required to generate the airspeed that the wingsuit can then convert to lift.

At a planned altitude above the ground in which a skydiver or BASE jumper would typically deploy his parachute, a wingsuit flier will deploy his parachute. The parachute will be flown to a controlled landing at the desired landing spot using typical skydiving or BASE jumping techniques. Alternatively, a user may turn quickly to greatly increase their air resistance for single units in time, slowing them down to a halt a short distance above land.

A wingsuit flier manipulates the shape of his body to create the desired amount of lift and drag although most wingsuits have a 2 to 1 ratio. This means that for every foot they drop, they go two feet forward. With body shape manipulation and by choosing the design characteristics of the wingsuit, a flier can alter both his forward speed and fall rate. A pilot can choose to manipulate his fall rate towards Earth with the goal of achieving the slowest vertical speed in order to prolong time in freefall, or the pilot can try to maximize the horizontal glide distance across the Earth. The pilot manipulates these flight characteristics by changing the shape of his torso, arching or bending at the shoulders, hips, and knees, and by changing the angle of attack in which the wingsuit flies in the relative wind, and by the amount of tension applied to the fabric wings of the suit. The absence of a vertical stabilizing surface results in little damping around the yaw axis, so poor flying technique can result in a spin that requires active effort on the part of the skydiver to stop.

Wingsuit fliers can measure their performance relative to their goals with the use of freefall computers that will indicate the amount of time they were in flight, the altitude they deployed their parachute, and the altitude they entered freefall. The fall rate speed can be calculated from this data and compared to previous flights. GPS receivers can also be used to plot and record the flight path of the suit, and when analyzed can indicate the amount of distance flown during the flight. BASE jumpers can use landmarks on exit points, along with recorded video of their flight by ground crews, to determine their performance relative to previous flights and the flights of other BASE jumpers at the same site.

A typical skydiver's terminal velocity in belly to earth orientation ranges from 110 to 140 mph (180–225 km/h). A wingsuit can reduce these speeds dramatically. An instantaneous velocity of -25 mph (-40 km/h) has been recorded.

The suit also enables the wearer to travel longer distances horizontally; glide ratios of 2.5:1 are commonplace. For the MJOLNIR suit, a glide ratio of 3.5:1 is present, although this is mostly as a result from increased surface area and as a result increased glide ratio. Ironically, becuase of the sheer mass of the suit, the glide ratio, although it is much higher, is rather low for the surface to size ratio.

The Wingsuit can be retracted back into the armor through the use of magnetic strips.



Thermal Regulation- The thermal regulation unit is essentially a part of the suit which simply keeps the internals and user of the suit at a constant temperature. This part of the suit is kept inside the airtight section, allowing the user to experience overall comfort without the possibility of hazardous exposure.

The suit uses an automatic temperature gauge, or electronic thermometer, that monitors the suits temperature and changes as required. The system works like any standard refrigeration unit to cool the suit down, using expanded gas to suck up the heat and then applying this through convection to another material, cooling it down. To heat the suit up, the suit acts like any ordinary oven in the fact that is uses the raw thermal energy created when electricity is ran through a piece of conductive wiring; it as well relies on convection to heat up the internals of the suit.

The suit is designed to keep the suit at a constant temperature; usually room temperature, or between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit (20-21 degrees Celsius). To better maintain this temperature, rather than simply using a heating or cooling unit, the suit also incorporates a 40% Water, 60% Ethanol mixture that the suit heats up and cools down, while the mixture is intended to heat up or cool down the suit. This is done in this manner becuase the water and ethanol mixture have a high specific heat, requiring a large amount of energy to heat up and cool it down (less with ethanol, although the ethanol keeps the water from boiling or freezing quickly). In this manner, the unit does experience major temperature fluctuations, and the refrigeration and heating unit can operate at extremely high rates and temperatures, that otherwise might have harmed the unit. This means that, should a unit suddenly be exposed to high temperatures, they won't immediately suffer, and that the suit will be able to raise it's counteractive methods quickly and at a rate or temperature that might otherwise kill the human (for instance, the suit may maintain 210 degrees of constant temperature to constantly warm the water and maintain homeostasis, something that could kill a human if they were exposed to it for too long).

Despite this mechanism, the suits armor consists of a material that essentially is an extremely effective insulator, fire and 1313 paste, meaning that even without the refrigeration and heating units the person within the user is extremely unlikely to experience external forms of temperature fluctuations; The suits protective armor is capable of withstanding temperatures several times that of the space shuttles re-entry for several minutes with little change in temperature even, to the outside of the armor, which remains cool to the touch. Primarily, the Thermoregulation unit is designed to keep the user from overheating inside the suit, taking the heat generated by the user and dissipating it and replacing lost heat the user has spent.

Camera display-

Internal radio-


Alert System-

Armor

1313 Mixture

One of Hurtubise's latest projects has been the creation of a new paste that he's called 1313 and believes could be put to good military use. It is a mixture of all his previous concoctions applied to a kevlar fiber pad and then subjected to high pressure for the period of a day in a press. The result is a board or tile-like panel. The panel is placed in layers with other materials such as tiles. The resulting composite material can withstand a direct assault by shotgun slugs, rifle fire, and enough high explosive to demolish a car, yet is quite inexpensive to manufacture.

At an enthusiastic demonstration taped by Daily Planet, Hurtubise displayed its capability to a Canadian military observer. In one of Hurtubise's demonstrations, the composite material was placed in cushions meant to be placed over the outside of a Humvee. In the tests, the material successfully blocked explosive charges greater than those of a rocket propelled grenade, although they were not shaped charges, and was able to block shot after shot on exactly the same point of impact by a .50 caliber sniper rifle (which is a feat no material in use by the U.S. nor any other military has matched in public demonstrations).

It is Hurtubise's desire to see military vehicles, currently in service in Afghanistan, equipped with such protection in order to stand up to a landmine explosion, which has already claimed the lives of Canadian soldiers serving there. That, along with his younger brother serving in the Canadian military, inspired the creation of 1313.



Fire Paste
Firepaste is a white paste that, when dry, is flame and heat resistant. It has a consistency and texture similar to clay when wet, and dries to become like a gray ceramic that looks like concrete. The impetus for firepaste came from a failed fire test with the Ursus Mark VII where the metal exoskeleton heated up, popped the air bags and left Hurtubise with numerous burns. Like Project Grizzly, Hurtubise has tested the material on himself. For a dramatic demonstration for the media and the military in summer 2004, he made a thin mask of the material, put it over his face, and aimed a specialized blowtorch at thousands of degrees directly at the mask. The temperature was intentionally much hotter than the temperatures reached by the Space Shuttle on reentry. A thermometer located between his face and the mask measured no appreciable temperature change below the mask after nearly ten minutes, and the integrity of the material stood strong.

Hurtubise is protective of ingredients for his concoction, but during a segment aired on Discovery Channel's daily news show Daily Planet, he revealed one secret to be Diet Coke. Images from electron microscopes show that the particles in the paste are very porous, which makes it a good insulator. Other tests showed the paste contained lithium and bromine, bound into compounds in the paste. Microscopically, it looks like a diatom absorbent, such as kitty-litter or any common industrial oil absorbent.





Ceramic Matrix
Beneath the 1313 concoction lies a ceramic metal matrix similar to Chobham armor which is designed to protect against larger, more powerful rounds that the 1313 plates are incapable of stopping- and it should be noted the 1313 concoction can stop multiple impacts from .50 caliber ammunition without being destroyed and the equivalent of an RPG explosive while suffering very little, if an incalculably little amount of damage to it's integral structure. The matrix mostly serves as a defense platform for extremely powerful rounds that should pierce the armor or contain special properties that allow them to pierce the armor; although the armor protects both against high speed projectiles, explosives, and high temperatures, even those above the re-entry of the space shuttle. Due to the extreme hardness of the ceramics used, they offer superior resistance against a shaped charge jet and they shatter kinetic energy penetrators (KE-penetrators). The (pulverize) ceramic also strongly abrades any penetrator. Against lighter projectiles the hardness of the tiles causes a "shatter gap" effect: a higher velocity will within a certain velocity range (the "gap") not lead to a deeper penetration but destroy the projectile itself instead

The metal matrix is a one inch by one inch hexagonal series of Titanium 6AL-4V, or a titanium alloy with 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. The ceramic tiles are of course flat structures composed of Boron Carbide, as if they were "Sloped", due to their brittleness it would actually reduce their stopping effect. While somewhat brittle (particularly Boron Carbide as a bullet proof ceramic), the Ceramic Tiles are intended to be used in case the main armor is breached, and are whole heartedly presumed to be a secondary defensive material. To avoid against a reciprocal problem associated with the brittleness of the ceramic used (cracks within the ceramic cause the ceramic to be more susceptible to cracks) beneath the ceramic is a layer of rubber and a hard metal plate. The metal matrix and the metal plates keep the ceramic tiles rigid, reducing their likelihood of deformation and subsequent cracks, and the rubber expands exponentially, irregularly, and absorbs energy, increasing the deflection of cracks.





Facemask
The face mask is obviously, not "Chobham" Armor or a 1313 concoction. The face mask is comprised primarily of transparent Aluminium Oxynitride ceramics, known commercially as ALON. ALON is a ceramic compound made from aluminium, oxygen and nitrogen, and has similar optical and structural properties to sapphire. While conventional bullet-proof glass is made from layers of laminated glass and polycarbonate, the new screen comprises an outer layer of ALON, a middle section of toughened glass and back sheet of polymer. The entire material, in the Airforce, is known as Windscreen.

During tests conducted at the University of Dayton Research Institute, also in Ohio, the material withstood armor-piercing rounds fired from a .30 caliber Russian M-44 sniper rifle and a .50 caliber Browning sniper rifle.

It also withstood repeated strikes from .30 caliber armor-piercing bullets. Ordinary bullet-proof glass would need to be made far thicker by tens of centimeters to become equally robust. It has also shown promising results against several forms of explosives, although it's direct strength is unknown.

The only drawback is that ALON is expensive to make. It costs up to $15 per square inch (2.5 centimeters squared) - three times more than normal bullet-proof glass. That is because the machinery required for fabrication is expensive and because the material must undergo intensive polishing before use. However, due to the small amounts of material required, and the fact that it's mass produced, the price is a relatively low factor in the decision to adopt the material.




Impact Gel
Impact gel is essentially a modified solidified version of corn starch which has the same ability as a non-Newtonian fluid except on a much more massive scale, being solid in nature, and being comprised of several other trace materials which serve as binders. While a liquid can form a solid on sudden impacts, a solid is capable of forming a much harder solid in rough impacts, creating a system capable absorbing an enormous amount of kinetic energy. While somewhat lacking as a kind of armor in itself, it's extreme impact absorption capability keeps the user safe from rough impacts- such as falling, rolling, or the shock wave of an explosion. While the suit of armor may stay intact after the explosion, the impact of the said explosion, or the armor against the user, could potentially result in injuries.

Becuase of the great energy reducing capabilities of impact gel, the likelihood of broken bones, crushed organs, or raw kinetic energy transfers damaging the user is greatly diminished. It also keeps fine parts from absorbing large amounts of energy, also acting as a kind of "packaging material" for more fragile materials.