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Old 06-01-2014, 09:38 PM   #1
Prince Charon
 
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Default [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

It's been suggested in various places that combining the Hybrid Assistive Limb exoskeleton with Troy Hurtubise's Trojan Ballistics Suit of Armor would be a way to produce an improvised Battlesuit. There are undoubtedly numerous problems with this, including redesigning the Trojan to fit over the HAL, but it could be done, and would thus serve as a crude TL8 Battlesuit.

Of course, it probably wouldn't be practical (outside of a Cinematic or perhaps Silly game), but it's a prototype.

I tried to find stats for either of them, but the closest I got was someone referencing the exoskeletons on ppUT180-181. I'm pretty sure the HAL is weaker than any of them.

So, what stats do you think each of these would have, and what stats would they have in combination? Please include any problems you think of.

YouTube has a few vidoes on the HAL, and on the Trojan.
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Old 06-01-2014, 11:02 PM   #2
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

The Trojan probably doesn't actually work as advertised.
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Old 06-01-2014, 11:45 PM   #3
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
The Trojan probably doesn't actually work as advertised.
Yeah. It's intended to resemble something like UT's Combat Hardsuit, but is basically layered sports gear (with the DX penalty that brings).
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Old 06-01-2014, 11:53 PM   #4
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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The Trojan probably doesn't actually work as advertised.
Most likely, given the very real difficulties involved, but I wonder how close it gets. The bear-proof suit, IIRC, is really bear-proof (or very resistant to bears), isn't it?
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Old 06-01-2014, 11:57 PM   #5
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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Originally Posted by Prince Charon View Post
Most likely, given the very real difficulties involved, but I wonder how close it gets. The bear-proof suit, IIRC, is really bear-proof (or very resistant to bears), isn't it?
Maybe? It doesn't seem technically impossible, but it's not likely that he had anything resembling a proper testing setup.
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Old 06-02-2014, 02:04 AM   #6
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

Well, the HAL can't be more than Lifting ST+5 or so. It certainly doesn't give any Striking ST, and it might even impede movement a bit. I'm not sure how responsive and agile its servomotors are. And instead of piling on glorified sports armor, why not just wear a normal ballistic vest so that the HAL carries it? At TL8, the best one (from Pyramid: Gunplay) has DR 16/6* + DR 35 (trauma plate). That much protection, plus ST 15 for wrestling and carrying purposes, gets you as close as you could get to a battlesuit trooper at TL8.
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Old 06-02-2014, 11:18 AM   #7
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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Maybe? It doesn't seem technically impossible, but it's not likely that he had anything resembling a proper testing setup.
I guess that would depend upon your standards...

Recall that when he tried to test his bear suit at a zoo a 1300-pound Kodiak shredded it in the preliminary testing, and the zoo authorities wouldn't let him do a live test with the suit occupied. So he had to "settle" for a much smaller bear.

And FWIW I agree that the combat hard suit mentioned is unlikely to be fit to take serious in any way. I mean, really, he claims that it cost him $15k to prototype, and would have a unit cost of $2k, and be bulletproof at 40 pounds? Who is he kidding? Millions of dollars of R&D by weapons engineers have at best produced the assault vest and trauma plates, which only cover the torso for about the same weight (albeit lower unit cost). And slapping a laser pointer on the forehead is not a "laser designator." Magnetic holsters? Salt compartment? Swallowable transponder? It's like he watched every bad scifi work ever made then sat down to slap this thing together.

The suit is just silly as described- intended as a war suit. It might make hella motocross armor, though.

Last edited by acrosome; 06-02-2014 at 11:22 AM.
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Old 06-02-2014, 11:27 AM   #8
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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Originally Posted by acrosome View Post
And FWIW I agree that the combat hard suit mentioned is unlikely to be fit to take serious in any way. I mean, really, he claims that it cost him $15k to prototype, and would have a unit cost of $2k, and be bulletproof at 40 pounds? Who is he kidding?
All depends on your definition of bulletproof. The only example of bullets being stopped is shotgun pellets, which requires something like level IIa armor. 40 lb for full-body level IIa would be distinctly underperforming, in fact, it seems on the heavy side for level IIIa (including tailoring, probably on the order of 1.6 lb/sf).
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Old 06-02-2014, 11:49 AM   #9
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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All depends on your definition of bulletproof. The only example of bullets being stopped is shotgun pellets, which requires something like level IIa armor. 40 lb for full-body level IIa would be distinctly underperforming, in fact, it seems on the heavy side for level IIIa (including tailoring, probably on the order of 1.6 lb/sf).
I think you're trying to compare GURPS armor mechanics to real life. IRL you are not, with current tech, going to make a 40 lb full-body military grade hard suit in your garage for $15k. No. Sorry.

It takes an approximately 4 lb/sq ft SAPI plate (plus a few layers of kevlar underneath, technically) to stop "most" modern rifle rounds. The "average" male is, what, 21sq ft surface area? Math = 84 lbs just for the SAPI armor, not including weight penalties for articulation, padding and comfort, odd shapes rather than flat plates, etc.

If this guy claims that he can do it with 40 pounds of "high-impact plastic" he's kidding himself. It's nothing but a really kewl hockey goalie suit.
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Old 06-02-2014, 12:51 PM   #10
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Default Re: [High-Tech/Ultra-Tech] Statting the HAL suit & the Trojan Ballistics Armor

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I think you're trying to compare GURPS armor mechanics to real life.
Nope, I'm saying that the level of protection demonstrated is 'stops shotgun pellets', which is actually pretty underwhelming.
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It takes an approximately 4 lb/sq ft SAPI plate (plus a few layers of kevlar underneath, technically) to stop "most" modern rifle rounds.
That's level III or IV, not level IIIa or lower. Level IIIa armor is available at <1 lb/sf, and will stop most shotgun rounds.
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