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Advances in assistive exoskeleton technology, and a boom in related scientific literature, prompted a need to review the potential use of exoskeletons in defence and security. A systematic review examined the evidence for successful augmentation of human performance in activities deemed most relevant to military tasks. Categories of activities were determined a priori through literature scoping and Human Factors workshops with military stakeholders. Workshops identified promising opportunities and risks for integration of exoskeletons into military use cases. The review revealed promising evidence for exoskeletons' capacity to assist with load carriage, manual lifting, and working with tools. However, the review also revealed significant gaps in exoskeleton capabilities and likely performance levels required in the use case scenarios. Consequently, it was recommended that a future roadmap for introducing exoskeletons to military environments requires development of performance criteria for exoskeletons that can be used to implement a human-centred approach to research and development. We assessed the state-of-the-art for the use of wearable assistive exoskeletons in UK defence and security use cases. A full systematic review of the literature was undertaken, informed by use cases developed in military stakeholder workshops. Clear gaps in exoskeleton capability and use case requirements were identified, leading to recommendations for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel ceramic based putty materials are developed for meeting the needs of the high field magnet community. Findings reveal that the use of these insulting putty systems reduces fabrication costs of high field magnets and also eliminates pinch points around end parts.

Purpose of Review: Stress fractures at weight-bearing sites, particularly the tibia, are common in military recruits and athletes. This review presents recent findings from human imaging and biomechanics studies aimed at predicting and preventing stress fractures. Recent Findings: Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) provides evidence that cortical bone geometry (tibial width and area) is associated with tibial stress fracture risk during weight-bearing exercise. The contribution of bone trabecular microarchitecture, cortical porosity, and bone material properties in the pathophysiology of stress fractures is less clear, but high-resolution pQCT and new techniques such as impact microindentation may improve our understanding of the role of microarchitecture and material properties in stress fracture prediction. Military studies demonstrate osteogenic outcomes from high impact, repetitive tibial loading during training. Kinetic and kinematic characteristics may influence stress fracture risk, but there is no evidence that interventions to modify biomechanics can reduce the incidence of stress fracture. Summary: Strategies to promote adaptive bone formation, in combination with improved techniques to assess bone strength, present exciting opportunities for future research to prevent stress fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]