US researchers have developed strap-on robotic legs to allow people to carry heavy loads over long distances.
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, or Bleex, is part of a US defence project designed to be used mainly by infantry soldiers.
The device consists of a pair of mechanical metal leg braces including a power unit and a backpack-like frame.
More than 40 sensors and hydraulic mechanisms calculate how to distribute weight just like the nervous system.
These helps minimise the load for the wearer.
A large rucksack carried on the back contains an engine, control system and space for a payload.
"There is no joystick, no keyboard, no push button to drive the device," said Homayoon Kazerooni, director of the Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory at the University of California
