Vertical maneuvering equipment (Before the Fall Manga)

The vertical maneuvering equipment (立体機動装置) is a set of experimental equipment developed by inventors Angel Aaltonen and Xenophon Harkimo that allows for great mobility when facing Titans in combat. The equipment enables the user to fight in a 3D space as opposed to a 2D one. The equipment itself takes the form of a body harness that encompasses much of the body below the neck.

History
During the early days of the Survey Corps, a prodigal inventor named Angel Aaltonen expressed dismay that the soldiers were woefully under-powered when fighting against Titans outside the Walls. His assistant Corina theorized that the height difference is a big disadvantage and they could possibly try to build a device that would eliminate that. Intrigued, Angel would immediately start brainstorming ideas; during a trip to the Industrial City, he presented an early prototype of his device to both his friend Sorum in the Survey Corps and fellow inventor Xenophon Harkimo; both were impressed by it and saw the possibilities. Xenophon agreed to work with Angel to improve and streamline the device.

The first improvements occurred after the Titan Mammon invaded Shiganshina District, killing numerous citizens including Corina. Learning the nape of the Titan's neck was the weak spot (as well as participating in two expeditions with the Survey Corps), Angel learned much and continued to work on the device, incorporating iron bamboo into the design of the device itself and as a stand-alone weapon. However, Angel losing his sight and going into self exile stalled production of it for some time; Xenophon took it upon himself to carry on in his friend's absence and would work on the device for the next fifteen years.

However, Xenophon would figuratively hit a wall and cause production to stall once again. Eventually, two teens named Kuklo and Cardina would be sent under Xenophon's care; they were tasked with testing the device and took notes on their observations. While this would help work out some of the flaws in the design, Xenophon was not be able to progress as much as he initially hoped. Eventually, Angel returned out of his exile thanks to Xenophon's apprentice Sharle Inocencio and the two inventors renewed production once more. Stripping the design completely and working from the ground up, the device was finalized and christened as "vertical maneuvering equipment."

Versions
Known predominantly as "The Device," it was not until much later that the gear was officially called the vertical maneuvering equipment. As it went through production, there were several iterations made since its conception:


 * Initial/prototype - The first version of Angel's device was rather large and cumbersome, with the user wearing it much like a backpack. The control mechanism was initially along the lines of a grappling gun and designed in the shape of a pistol. It was also only able to move vertically in space, something that Angel inadvertently discovered as he tested it. Due to it being a prototype, no weapons were initially designed to compliment it; as work continued on the device, Angel would later use a small dagger made from iron bamboo after seeing the material cause damage to a Titan during an attack in Shiganshina District. It would not be until much later when a proper weapon was designed by Angel to compliment the equipment.


 * Secondary - Angel began working on the second version of his device shortly before his exile, with Xenophon taking over in his place. Reducing the size and weight considerably, Xenophon managed to convert the gas canisters that power the device into rectangular boxes and aligned them along the sides of the user, as well as modifying the control mechanism to be more easily used one handed. Although the device was now capable of moving both vertically and horizontally, it was still unable to move sideways. Also, Xenophon would include a large sword made of iron bamboo so the user had a means to protect themselves in combat.


 * Final - The final version of the device that would later become the vertical maneuvering equipment was made through the combined efforts of Xenophon and Angel, along with Xenophon's apprentice Sharle Inocencio. The device was reworked from the ground up, with the primary housing gears and mechanisms moved to a small compact device worn along the back and the gas canisters that powered the device were attached to boxes worn along the sides. In addition, the sword and control mechanism were combined into one and incorporated snap blades stored inside the boxes at the side of the user that easily attach to the grips. In addition, the boxes were modified to hold spare replacement blades in case the primary ones were ever broken or destroyed in combat.

Training
Due to the unorthodox design and the fact only three people were ever seen using it, there was initially no training designed to show how to operate the vertical maneuvering equipment. Eventually, both Kuklo and Cardina would take down notes while the other ran tests and, with the help of Survey Corps captain Carlo Pikale, came up with a training regimen that would provide a start in training potential users. They included logistics tests focused on improving stamina and aptitude devices to work on the recruit's ability to stay balanced in mid-air while wearing the equipment.