The Canadian military has begun testing what a company is calling “the world’s first bionic knee brace” to help troops better absorb the impact from carrying all the gear and equipment on the modern battlefield.
The country’s Department of National Defence this week accepted delivery of 60 of the braces, called Upshot and made by Spring Loaded Technology, as part of a $1 million contract order for 190 braces, the company announced in a press release.
Maj. Edward Jun of the Directorate of Land Requirement will supervise the soldiers’ field-testing of the product, which is powerful enough to help lift more than 100 pounds of weight when worn on both knees, according to the release.