Cyberdine’s HAL Exoskeleton is more sophisticated than Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC), but HAL is only available to rent whereas HULC is available for purchase. Unlike HAL, the HULC is focused entirely on helping the user carry heavy loads—up to 200 pounds without breaking a sweat. It also helps to reduce oxygen consumption by up to 5-10% when walking.
Obviously, a system like this could prove invaluable for military personnel, laborers, hikers and fat, lazy geeks that don’t want their heart to explode while they walk to the kitchen for a Snickers and a Red Bull. Unfortunately, no pricing information or availability dates have been announced, but you can pre-order one now from the Berkley Bionics website. [Berkley Bionics via New Scientist]
