Something really caught my eye on TechTV today. They were talking about a new infantry suit thats currently under development for the US military. Now I barely got the jist of it here, so this may be wrong...
They are using a material made from small tubes.(?) It looked like cloth to me, but that may not have been the actual suit. When electricity is applied, the suit hardens like armor. The suit will also have to capability to either change color or become reflective, letting it blend into the surrounding environment. This would provide the perfect camo, as it adapts to any environment.
Another development is the exo-skeleton. The exo-skeleton gives strength to the user. For example, a unit wearing one type of eXo (leg enhancement and back support) would feel only 5% of the total load of his backpack. Thats a 95% weight relief. Other designs would allow a unit to lift extremely heavy objects.
Keep in mind, the soldiers movement only controls the exo-skeleton, which does the work. Its like wearing a forktruck.
Both works will begin testing phases in a couple of years. The military is really pushing the developers to get these done. In my opinion, this is really exciting news.