exoskeletons

The Military Wanted Walt Disney to Build Real-Life Iron Man Suits

In 1965 the American military approached Walt Disney for a very special project. They wanted Disney engineers to build them an exoskeleton—basically a real-life Iron Man suit. The Navy sent a request for proposals to WED Enterprises—Disney’s design and architecture shop, now called Walt Disney Imagineering—hoping that they’d jump at the opportunity. But unfortunately for…

Tech News Matt Novak Jan 8

DARPA Got a New Tagline (and Tom Cruise Helped)

Any day is a good when the government’s most futuristic R&D lab starts cavorting around Twitter with Scientology superstars. And this is one of those days. For whatever reason—probably a conspiracy but most likely just to market his next dystopian blockbuster—Tom Cruise has been following the good work DARPA’s been doing. So early Friday morning,…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Aug 30

This Crazy Exoskeleton Suit Gives Schoolgirls (or Anyone) Super Powers

There are two paths to gaining super powers that don’t involve mutations, radiation, or intergalactic origins. You can go the RoboCop route, where your body—or what’s left of it—is permanently melded to a robotic frame. Or the Iron Man route, where you temporarily don a robotic supersuit and kick ass. The latter approach is, of…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jul 8

The World’s First Mind-controlled Exoskeleton!

Wow, is this a taste of the future, or what? Check out MindWalker — an exoskeleton that will soon enable paralysed and locked-in people to walk using only their mind. Ah, who are we kidding — we’re ALL going to eventually want this for ourselves! The groundbreaking device, which is currently under review by the…

io9 George Dvorsky Jun 4

TitanArm Exoskeleton: Elysium Is Basically Already Real

There’s unfortunately no secret shortcut to building muscle and toning your body. But if you’re just after the extra strength, not the six-pack abs, the TitanArm exoskeleton lets you cheat your way to impressive feats of heavy lifting. Designed and engineered by a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania who are probably secretly…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski May 1

NASA’s Inventing In Style with Awesome Robot Pants

You already have NASA to thank in part for everyday, Earthly wonders like memory foam and water filters, but a new one is coming to the list: powered exoskeletons. The Xi Robotic Exoskeletion is a device—and in some ways almost a vehicle—currently in development by NASA and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.…

Space & Spaceflight Eric Limer Oct 13

This time-lapse video of a tarantula molting will give you spontaneous arachnophobia

If you’re an arthropod, molting your exoskeleton is one of those uncomfortable realities of life. (Hello, spider crab!) Just ask this Burgundy Goliath Birdeater tarantula (Theraphosa stirmi), who can rock up to an 11-inch legspan. Even this critter must discard his exoskeleton every so often — here’s some footage of this biological process in fast-forward.…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Sep 12

This uncomfortable exoskeleton makes you feel 75 years old

If you thought the Mommy Tummy pregnancy simulator was hilarious, try this exoskeleton on for size. This is AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System), a suit by MIT’s AgeLab that simulates what it’s like to be in your mid-seventies. It’s not recommended for fisticuffs with xenomorphs. https://gizmodo.com/japanese-pregnancy-simulator-vest-remains-hilarious-di-5843497 https://gizmodo.com/mommy-tummy-pregnancy-suit-is-like-a-tamagotchi-you-s-5813256 Here’s a list of AGNES’ bells and…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Dec 28

Somebody went and invented the power loader from Aliens

We’ve seen some fairly convincing power loader facsimiles before, but this refurbished Ditch Witch by Raytheon-Sarcos — who are also experimenting with robotic exoskeletons — isn’t that far off from James Cameron’s original vision. https://gizmodo.com/aliens-style-power-loader-will-have-you-battling-xenomo-5371513 https://gizmodo.com/watch-iron-man-2s-agent-coulson-test-out-a-real-life-ex-5650187 According to Raytheon-Sarcos Vice President of Operations Fraser Smith, the robotic arms use “force reflection” to provide the operator…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Oct 15

Darpa underwear will “harvest” soldiers’ energy, give them killer abs

Soldiers: Your underwear of the future will do more than prevent crotch rot. It’ll protect you from injuries, monitor your vitals, and even “harvest” your energy. That is, if a new project from Darpa’s Defense Sciences Office works out as planned. That’s an illustration, to the right, of what Darpa thinks its “Warrior Web” onesie…

io9 Mark Riffee - Danger Room Oct 1

Scientists build robotic legs that can jog like a human

This is MABEL, a bipedal robot who currently resides in a lab at the University of Michigan. Although MABEL has no head and needs a guiding bar to navigate its tiny gymnasium, this jogging robot can maintain an eerily human 6.8-mile-per-hour strut. From the University of Michigan: MABEL was built in 2008 in collaboration with…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Aug 16

See an exoskeleton that helps paraplegics to walk (and other bionics) in motion

PBS Newshour recently did a neat segment on the various advancements in medical bionics, such exoskeletons and biomimetic arms. The segment also featured amputee athlete Aimee Mullins, who’s competed with carbon-fiber “cheetah leg” protheses. https://gizmodo.com/portraits-in-posthumanity-aimee-mullins-5535730 [Via Metafilter]

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Jul 4

Lockheed Martin HULC Exo-Skeleton Prepares to Smash Human Beta Tests

The HULC exo-skeleton, Lockheed Martin’s prototype heavy lifter for infantry troops in the field, has its battery and is now ready for human trials. If they’re successful, field tests could be close on their heels. https://gizmodo.com/remainders-the-things-we-didnt-post-talk-of-tomorrow-5454948/ Click to viewA quick primer though, before anything else: HULC, or Human Universal Load Carrier, could be the military’s…

Tech News Jack Loftus Jul 18

Power Loader Exoskeleton Gives Superhuman Strength

The Power Loader “dual-arm power amplification robot” uses 18 electromagnetic motors that let the wearer lift 220lbs without blinking. It gets its name from the exoskeleton from Aliens (get away from her you bitch!), and even has force-feedback. It’s being developed by a Panasonic subsidiary called ActiveLink, who say they don’t expect to see it…

Tech News Danny Allen Sep 30

HAL Robo-Suit Exoskeleton Hits the Streets of Tokyo

Remember that HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) exoskeleton from the real-life Cyberdyne? Ahead of plans to rent the suit to those with mobility issues (or Iron Man fantasies), it’s now being tested on the streets of Tokyo. Here’s the video: https://gizmodo.com/mass-production-planned-for-hal-exoskeleton-your-perso-5206539 The full suit comes in three sizes, with the largest weighing 50lbs (though it seems…

Tech News Danny Allen Sep 10

New G.I. Joe Trailer Looks Like a Bizarro Iron Man Flick

While we should all be insulted that the new G.I. Joe movie wants us take Marlon Wayans semi-seriously, I can’t hate all the Iron Man-like exoskeleton action going on in this new French trailer. io9 has the full video posted on their site, which has some pretty cool imaginings of future military tech going on.…

Movies Adrian Covert May 2

How It Feels To Walk With Honda’s Cyborg Legs

Few geeks haven’t dreamt of one day taking on cyborg enhancements—me included. And today I did, thanks to two of Honda’s wearable Asimo-inspired Walk Assist devices. This is how it felt. I strapped on Honda’s fresh-from-the-labs Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist rigs, and both devices made me feel totally unstoppable, albeit in a…

Tech News Odelia Lee Apr 14

Mass Production Planned For HAL Exoskeleton; Your Personal Iron Man Conversion To Cost $4,200

Products like the Human Assistive Limb exoskeleton have a frustrating tendency to remain in the labs and universities that spawned them, usually for reasons of impracticality or cost. But this one is going mainstream. https://gizmodo.com/rent-your-own-hal-exoskeleton-for-the-low-low-price-of-381024 This is great news for HAL’s target market: Its ability to grant its wearer tenfold strength increases during specific actions…

Tech News John Herrman Apr 10

Just One of the Guys!

A T-600 Terminator poses in this fantastic buddy shot, alongside T4 director McG and Professor/HAL exoskeleton creator Yoshiyuki Sankai. No remains were found. [Impress] https://gizmodo.com/terminator-salvation-set-visit-it-just-might-not-suck-5107101

Tech News Mark Wilson Mar 24

PISCES Exoskeletons Turn Every Solider Into Aquaman

Apparently the military has been working with West Florida’s Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) for several years trying to develop an underwater exoskeleton that would improve a soldier’s speed and endurance underwater. Much like early pioneers of flight, IHMC has looked to nature to provide answers. So far, the project known as Performance…

Tech News Sean Fallon Sep 18

The Military Wanted Walt Disney to Build Real-Life Iron Man Suits

DARPA Got a New Tagline (and Tom Cruise Helped)

This Crazy Exoskeleton Suit Gives Schoolgirls (or Anyone) Super Powers

The World’s First Mind-controlled Exoskeleton!

TitanArm Exoskeleton: Elysium Is Basically Already Real

NASA’s Inventing In Style with Awesome Robot Pants

This time-lapse video of a tarantula molting will give you spontaneous arachnophobia

This uncomfortable exoskeleton makes you feel 75 years old

Somebody went and invented the power loader from Aliens

Darpa underwear will “harvest” soldiers’ energy, give them killer abs

Scientists build robotic legs that can jog like a human

See an exoskeleton that helps paraplegics to walk (and other bionics) in motion

Lockheed Martin HULC Exo-Skeleton Prepares to Smash Human Beta Tests

Power Loader Exoskeleton Gives Superhuman Strength

HAL Robo-Suit Exoskeleton Hits the Streets of Tokyo

New G.I. Joe Trailer Looks Like a Bizarro Iron Man Flick

How It Feels To Walk With Honda’s Cyborg Legs

Mass Production Planned For HAL Exoskeleton; Your Personal Iron Man Conversion To Cost $4,200

Just One of the Guys!

PISCES Exoskeletons Turn Every Solider Into Aquaman

RFK Jr. Will Take on Joe Rogan for Podcaster Supremacy

The Spymaster’s Guide to the Secret Agencies of ‘Star Trek’

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