5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future
Real Life Iron Man Suits
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Image via Kotaku
As the old saying goes: the suit makes the man; never will this maxim resonate so well, than when referring to bionic exoskeleton suits. They’ll not only make you the man, they’ll make you superhuman.
Yes, picture this for a second. Imagine walking at an average speed of 20 miles an hour, lifting 300lbs weights as if they weighed only 10 and being able to leap 20-30 feet in the air. Imagine having a bionic extension that shadowed your every move.
You might be thinking that this could only be achieved in comic books, or in glossy Hollywood blockbusters like Iron man or the 1959 epic Starship Troopers. Frighteningly however, robotics has come a long way thanks to the archetypal bunch of mad scientists and inventors, working away in their laboratories.
The reality of an army of indestructible soldiers wearing exoskeleton suits may come sooner than you think. No longer are exoskeleton suits merely wearable joysticks. At long last, robotics is combining our decision-making processes with the dexterity and brute force of the machines. In other words, the mind controls the metal.
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Image by Flickr user Alternate Words
However much this might sound like the plot of a bad science fiction movie, the rabbit hole goes deeper. The US Pentagon’s DARPA or Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has invested $50 million in robotic exoskeleton projects.
The question to ask then, is will we see a bionic army, roaming the battlefields of the future or will there be some unexpected twist?
No I’m not about to prophesize an apocalyptic battle between man and machine (even though as a die-hard sci-fi fan, I think it would be kinda cool). No, brute force, contrary to popular belief is not limited to the realms of the military, but extends to the more mundane. The potential applications of powered suits are endless. Hydraulic limbs could assist people to walk, lift heavy equipment or rubble in rescue missions and aid in construction. Anything is possible after all.
So, without further ado, let’s explore some of the most incredible exoskeletons (in order of coolness) that may be seen on the battlefields of the future or helping us in our every day lives.
NEXT: The evil juggernaut: The Landwalker
5. The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX)
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Image Via Zamazing
The director of UC Berkeley’s Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory Homayoon Kazerooni’s central aim was “to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system with robotic muscle.” The project funded by DARPA, was in 2004, the most advanced exoskeletal suit. It has subsequently been overtaken by others on the list however.
How does it work?
Much like a human nervous system surprisingly. There are a series of 40 sensors and hydraulic actuators, which form a local area network. The machine therefore is able to shadow the subject’s every move.
One challenge was designing the fuel-based power actuation system, vital for sustaining soldiers on the battlefield. Unfortunately, this hasn’t yet been perfected.
Watch a video of it in action below:
NEXT: The evil juggernaut: The Landwalker
Comments
12 Responses to “5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future”
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Rob O.
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 11:25 am1Reply to this comment.It’s always really interesting to see how a pop culture reference can bring such sharp attention to these kinds of gems that have long since been hidden away in the dark recesses of research labs. Granted, work would surely have continued to progress on these sorts of projects without the release of “Iron Man,” but just look at how much new (or renewed) public interest there is in exoskeleteon development as a result of that movie.
I know that these researchers have languished in obscurity for years, working on stuff that we’re only now getting tantalizing glimpses of, but still, the timing makes it feel like a “wag the dog” kinda setup.
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Greg
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 6:49 pm2Reply to this comment.I agree with you and have thought that for years. The government along with the producers in hollywood have been doing this to the public to desensitize them.
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Rob
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 6:49 pm3Reply to this comment.Great roundup of the various exo skeletons around… the story has also been added at http://www.gearcult.com
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funkdigital
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 7:24 pm4Reply to this comment.The possibilities are intriguing.
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gatzke
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm5Reply to this comment.Hey, check it out.. He can walk! Got any footage of him doing 300Lb squats?
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william hessian
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 8:24 pm6Reply to this comment.excellent list of exo suits. for some reason i have zero confidence in the grizzly guy’s suit, although it looks amazing. The 4th one REX looks pretty impressive, I hope to see these things advance even more than this quickly. It seems that any progress is few and far between. Which is too bad.
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d00d
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 8:44 pm7 -
Hilary Albutt
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 10:10 pm8Reply to this comment.Hmmmm its not a bad idea, but if the best two or three were to get together and have a suit that could lift itself, be bullet resistant and fire pink splodgy paint balls, now that I would pay to see!
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mike
Posted: May 6th, 2008 at 11:45 pm9Reply to this comment.so i dont get it… this will allow fat people to move?
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aslam
Posted: May 7th, 2008 at 3:00 am10Reply to this comment.Just what we need another fat-ass american who cant get around using his two legs.
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James
Posted: May 7th, 2008 at 10:56 pm11Reply to this comment.So, I guess they’ve got past the problems where the earlier bionic suits snapped their operators bones then?
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Hubbs
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 9:15 pm12Reply to this comment.I for one welcome SkyNet as my new lord and master

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