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Commercial Exoskeletons
FalconZero writes "For those of you with superhuman aspirations, your dream may be a step closer; New Scientist (recently) and the Japan Times (last year) covered Yoshiyuki Sankai's work at
the University of Tsukuba in Japan developing powered exoskeletons
with commercial versions expected soon costing between $14,000 and $19,000
(£7,500-£10,000). Other work with exoskeletons previously covered
here(1),
here(2) and
here(3)."
"So when do we get mounted guns?"
and get posted on the N/S Korean border?!?! No thanks!
I am not left-handed, either!
yeah, I'm sure helping spinal injury victims and the advancement of science and technology has nothing to do with it...
My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle...
This seems a lot more appropriate for applications in construction than in the military or in medicine.
Digging/moving/lifting/mixing/carrying machines are generally designed to do jobs that humans can do, but on a larger scale and with more power. It seems to me that a person in a powered exoskeleton could perform such tasks pretty well, given the right tools or attachments.
We had the technology to build them back then??? Wow, that's news to me. The Japanese must seriously be SO behind in terms of technology that they are still building things from the 1950s.
On another note, I'm beginning to fear the impending rise of Japan's technological skills. With their recent attempt to amend their constitution to allow for a standing army along with their recent changes to their textbooks that make their actions during WW2 seem honorable instead of atrocious. I mean, sure there are some good uses for the new exoskeleton technology. But wouldn't the BEST way to help disabled people would be to research stem cells and how to regenerate nerves and muscles??? This exoskeleton that makes you twice as strong and straped to a computer which allows wireless hook up sure does make me think more of war than it does of helping old ladies. But hey, that's just me, I'm paranoid.
I'm beginning to fear the impending rise of Japan's technological skills.
The impending rise? Where have you been for the last few decades? As a country their technological skills and drive have been cutting edge for a long time now.
With their recent attempt to amend their constitution to allow for a standing army
If my country was that close the North Korea and China I'd really want it to have a standing army too. I guess they could rely on the Americans for ever, but they have a lot of other commitments and what if you don't always agree with them?
changes to their textbooks that make their actions during WW2 seem honorable instead of atrocious
Now that's a massive generalisation, assuming you are talking about the same thing as the Chinese have been protesting about. A textbook, not all, done by a company not the government referred to the rape of Nanking as an "incident". Now that isn't good, it was a massacre and a war crime, but you may be generalising just a bit from it.
But wouldn't the BEST way to help disabled people would be to research stem cells and how to regenerate nerves and muscles
It would be another way. We don't know it would be the best way until we tried both. Even then, best how? Cost? How quickly it is available? Quality of life for sufferers? Percentage of sufferers it works for?
It's pretty rare with medical conditions that one treatment works for everyone. Researching multiple ways to deal with it is generally a good thing, that saying about all you eggs in one basket.
Yes, exos could have military applications, (a lot of tech can, if it can it usually gets used) the US army has already said it is interested, and researching. Given their military budget they would almost certainly be the first to use such technology if it becomes practical.