On the big screen, films like Robocop, Universal Soldier and forthcoming release
Iron Man show man-machines with superhuman powers. But in Utah they are turning science fiction into reality...
A team at M.I.T. Media Lab's Biomechatronics Group has made an exoskeleton that not only could unburden travelers but also lead to the development of stronger and more mobile robotic limbs, closer to real human movements. The M.I.T. exoskeleton is also lighter and consumes less energy than similar technologies do.
With the exoskeleton on and fully powered up, a human can easily pull down weight of more than 90 kilos, more than he weighs
The lightweight aluminium exoskeleton, called XOS, senses human moves and
instantly moves with him; it is almost like a shadow or a second skin. It is designed for agility that can match a human's, but with strength and endurance that far outweigh our abilities.
The US military expects to take delivery of these early prototypes next year, and hopefully deploy some refined versions within eight years.
It is a long way off before we see robot soldiers that can fly or fire missiles - like
in the movies - but the designers are already imagining future versions more
reminiscent of Hollywood.
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Exoskeletons-for-the-Soldiers-of-the-Future-2.jpg
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Exoskeletons-for-the-Soldiers-of-the-Future-3.jpg
Iron Man show man-machines with superhuman powers. But in Utah they are turning science fiction into reality...
A team at M.I.T. Media Lab's Biomechatronics Group has made an exoskeleton that not only could unburden travelers but also lead to the development of stronger and more mobile robotic limbs, closer to real human movements. The M.I.T. exoskeleton is also lighter and consumes less energy than similar technologies do.
With the exoskeleton on and fully powered up, a human can easily pull down weight of more than 90 kilos, more than he weighs
The lightweight aluminium exoskeleton, called XOS, senses human moves and
instantly moves with him; it is almost like a shadow or a second skin. It is designed for agility that can match a human's, but with strength and endurance that far outweigh our abilities.
The US military expects to take delivery of these early prototypes next year, and hopefully deploy some refined versions within eight years.
It is a long way off before we see robot soldiers that can fly or fire missiles - like
in the movies - but the designers are already imagining future versions more
reminiscent of Hollywood.
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Exoskeletons-for-the-Soldiers-of-the-Future-2.jpg
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Exoskeletons-for-the-Soldiers-of-the-Future-3.jpg
