ly ▁Ber keley ▁B ion ics ) ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁program ▁is ▁based ▁in ▁Or lando ▁Florida ▁at ▁the ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁Miss iles ▁& ▁Fire ▁Control ▁business ▁unit ▁and ▁the ▁program ▁manager ▁is ▁Jim ▁Ni . ▁▁▁ ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁is ▁currently ▁developing ▁a ▁new , ▁rug ged ized ▁H U LC ▁system ▁which ▁will ▁be ▁evaluated ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁Nat ick ▁Sold ier ▁Research , ▁Development ▁and ▁Engineering ▁Center ▁( NS R DE C ). ▁ ▁The ▁upgrad ed ▁H U LC ▁system ▁includes ▁optimized ▁control ▁software , ▁extended ▁battery ▁life ▁and ▁human ▁factors ▁improvements ▁for ▁quick er ▁and ▁easier ▁s izing ▁to ▁each ▁user . ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁is ▁also ▁expl oring ▁ex os ke leton ▁designs ▁to ▁support ▁industrial ▁and ▁medical ▁applications . ▁ ▁The ▁H U LC ▁is ▁a ▁lower ▁extrem ity , ▁general ▁purpose ▁load ▁carriage ▁platform . ▁ ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁adapted ▁for ▁specific ▁miss ions ▁such ▁as ▁log istics ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁access ories . ▁ ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁recently ▁released ▁a ▁new ▁product ▁card ▁for ▁a ▁lift ▁assist ▁device ▁that ▁attach es ▁to ▁the ▁H U LC ▁system ▁and ▁provides ▁the ▁user ▁with ▁power ▁assist ed ▁lift . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Lock he ed ▁announced ▁a ▁l ighter ▁and ▁energy - efficient ▁H U LC , ▁with ▁power ▁to ▁last ▁eight ▁hours ▁on ▁march es ▁or ▁days ▁just ▁standing , ▁would ▁go ▁for ▁field ▁tests ▁by