Sunday, May 18, 2008

Super soldier


I apologize if I've said this before... in Japan, companies are developing robotic suits like this so people can more easily lift the elderly and perform other peaceful tasks. But in America, there always seems to be a militaristic purpose behind projects like this. (Of course, Japan doesn't need to invest much in its military because the U.S. still provides for its defense.... but let's set that aside for now...) Anyway, check this out:



Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly, and plays
tennis and skis when time allows. But the 5-foot-11, 180-pound software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds — that is, until he steps into an "exoskeleton" of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times. ... "Everybody likes the idea of being a superhero, and this is all about expanding the capabilities of a human," said Stephen Jacobsen, chief designer of the Sarcos suit.


1 comment:

Mr. Pony said...

Rex Jameson is a total superhero secret identity. Real Silver Age. I wonder about the battlefield applications, though. How much can a super-strong soldier really accomplish if he's not also super-fast, or invulnerable?