The NO-M1-R2900 was developed for use with the NO-M1-1a - Mantus Infantry Power Armor, it became available in YE 29.
The dampener field was developed to combat the menace that is scalar electrogravitaional weaponry. M1-R2900 makes use of an anti-gravity field which negates the force of gravity around the armor and as such protects it completely from scalar electrograviational weapons. An alternative use of the Dampener field is that, because it negates gravity in the surrounding the Mantus can encompass an object in it and therefore lift it because it is, effectively, weightless.