I can upgrade the shelter

Returning to the shelter, Chen Xin was busy with the miniaturization of the isotope thermoelectric battery, while seriously considering the issue of how to construct the Exoskeleton Protective Suit.

For Chen Xin, manufacturing an exoskeleton was a simple task; in fact, even for the current Flame Country, producing an exoskeleton was not difficult.

Before the disaster, various exoskeletons had already been put into practical use. They were used not only in the military but also experimentally by delivery couriers.

However, these exoskeletons were passive exoskeletons, which, simply put, are load-bearing structures with no power source. Through scientific ergonomic design, they can effectively support heavy objects and reduce the user's physical exertion, functioning as auxiliary equipment.

Such exoskeletons clearly did not meet Chen Xin's requirements, and he saw no need to labor over developing such things when the country had existing resources available.

The exoskeleton Chen Xin wanted to develop should be called a mechanical exoskeleton or power exoskeleton. It is a wearable mechanical device made of a steel framework, providing extra energy for limb movement.

This kind of equipment is common in various science fiction works, such as the armor of the 50 brothers in "Starcraft," the Mark series suits in "Iron Man," the gear worn by Tom Cruise in "Edge of Tomorrow," the bulky T series in "Fallout," and the Mjolnir armor of the Spartans in the "Halo" series…

These are what people perceive exoskeleton equipment to be, or more straightforwardly, Power Armor.

Strictly speaking, there is no significant difference between the two; an exoskeleton merely lacks the more robust protection of Power Armor, while Power Armor provides more comprehensive protection as an exoskeleton.

The concept of this equipment was proposed in the Federation in 1960. After years of research, all the relevant technologies and development ideas for exoskeletons have been explored. The real remaining issues are the hard problems that modern technology cannot solve.

The most critical issues are twofold: first, the choice of human-machine interaction model to control the exoskeleton, and secondly, its power source.

Choosing a mode of human-machine interaction is not particularly troubling but remains a complex problem to solve in exoskeleton development.

The power source is an even greater hurdle in bringing exoskeletons to the practical and promotional stage; one of the biggest challenges in exoskeleton development is the power source issue.

To solve the power issue, someone even suggested making a wired version of a power exoskeleton like EVA, dragging a power cable.

However, for Chen Xin, none of these problems posed much difficulty. Welding a few steel pipes to create a movable frame, setting up a mechanical drive, and connecting a battery, even without hydraulic assistance, would suffice to create the most primitive power exoskeleton. Subsequent work could be entirely handed over to the system, leaving Chen Xin just to upgrade.

But this was not what Chen Xin wanted, or rather, Chen Xin had more factors and issues to consider this time.

Because this set of Exoskeleton Protective Suit was designed for civilian use, primarily provided to construction workers and those needing to leave the shelter for work, to offer warmth and protection against harsh and frigid environments, as well as a certain level of assisted enhancement.

Therefore, this Exoskeleton Protective Suit mainly focuses on protection and warmth, with no strong need for assisted augmentation. Furthermore, since it is meant for mass production and use, production and maintenance costs and ease of use must be prioritized.

Creating one for himself would be a simple matter for Chen Xin; he could ignore costs and just pile on survival points, even producing something like the Mark85 nano armor would not be a problem. However, this was limited to personal use or small-scale distribution within the shelter.

Mass production of Exoskeleton Protective Suits is not a matter of several or dozens but even hundreds of thousands or millions. With several billion people in the country, even if only one-tenth needed suits, it would be tens of millions; without considering cost and maintenance issues, even a nation like the Flame Country could not bear such enormous expenses.

This is also why Chen Xin abandoned the idea of creating full-body protective Power Armor; it's not because it couldn't be made or was too dangerous for civilian use, but because there was fundamentally no basis for widespread use.

In fact, in Chen Xin's vision, such an Exoskeleton Protective Suit wouldn't even need a miniaturized isotope thermoelectric battery. Installing a rechargeable battery capable of running for dozens of hours would suffice since its main function is warmth and protection.

Warmth is easily achieved; technology from pilot anti-g suits offers ready solutions. Like an electric blanket, by adding resistance wires, the Protective Suit can have an electric heating function; the only problem is whether the battery can handle it.

According to Chen Xin's judgment, this type of electric heating for warmth will likely become a primary method, alongside synthetic fiber clothing, as natural materials like cotton and wool have lost most sources. Even if some production can continue, it would not be affordable for ordinary shelter residents.

Therefore, for the Protective Suit aspect of this Exoskeleton Protective Suit, Chen Xin plans to use a onesie-style synthetic fiber garment combined with electric heating to ensure its cold resistance.

After all, this is relatively low-cost, with raw material access being more convenient and simpler for production.

Previous methods like down and cotton filling have become challenging to source, so rather than sticking with those traditional filling methods, it's better to use an electric blanket directly on the body.

As long as the outer structure provides enough warmth, and the effect of electric heating is sufficient, this Exoskeleton Protective Suit can protect its wearer from frostbite even in temperatures of minus several tens of degrees.

With an added fully enclosed helmet connected to an oxygen supply, it is enough to protect the wearer from environmental hazards.

For the exoskeleton component, it can be relatively simple, utilizing mature existing technology as a foundation for a passive exoskeleton. It could be the basis for a civilian version, with an assisted power system added as an upgrade for those like construction workers needing heavy labor.

For the battery component, Chen Xin plans to, after completing the miniaturized isotope thermoelectric battery, study a high-capacity, high-performance rechargeable battery to power this Exoskeleton Protective Suit.

On one hand, since the suit is ordinary civilian equipment, long-term power isn't necessary. Besides, no matter how it's explained, the isotope thermoelectric battery involves radioactive elements, posing certain safety issues for civilian use.

On the other hand, cost considerations again come into play; although high-performance batteries aren't cheap to produce, they are significantly less costly than isotope thermoelectric batteries.

Therefore, after comprehensively considering these factors, Chen Xin conceived a design plan for the Exoskeleton Protective Suit.

Finding an old work uniform from when he worked, an electric blanket that was obsolete after installing the ground source heat pump, and metals needed for exoskeleton construction, Chen Xin sat at the workbench, ready to make a prototype.

Using the old work uniform as the base, adding the electric blanket as material, Chen Xin confirmed the upgrade, producing a Protective Suit with electric heating functionality.

Next to install were the battery, exoskeleton, and helmet.

For the battery, Chen Xin still used a storage battery, but this time he was upgrading it towards quick recharging, rather than making it a durable Nuclear Battery.

As for the helmet, Chen Xin temporarily planned only a simplified cover. Whether to add other features later was for future research; as a prototype, being able to seal, provide oxygen, and shield against external cold was enough.