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Japan Displays Prototype Robot Suit
anaesthetica writes "A project at Tsukuba University has produced a battery-powered robot suit designed to aid the wearer in strength-related tasks, like lifting heavy objects. The suit also has the capability of propelling itself, which is potentially useful for helping the handicapped or elderly walk. The optimistic professor who lead the project stated, 'Humans may be able to mutate into supermen in the near future.'"
This optimistic inventor is not familiar with The Wrong Trousers.
If that guy can't pick up that small Japanese woman anyway, then that suite better do a lot of other stuff, too.
But since she's not that much of a payload, the pictures might as well be of a guy wearing a Stormtrooper costume doing deep knee bends.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
I, for one, welcome our new geriatric and quadriplegic robot-suit overlords.
Japan has seen a growing market for technology geared toward the elderly, who are making up an increasing chunk of the population as fewer younger Japanese choose to start families.
A government report last week showed that pensioners made up a record 19.5 percent of the country's population in 2004 and that the ratio will grow rapidly, surpassing 35 percent in 2050.
Did anyone else shudder at the image of senior citizens ambling down the street in robot suits? Just imagine the damage potential.
I like the picture caption that says the robot suit will help you lift "heavy loads", while the picture shows the guy carrying a woman. I'm sure she will be thrilled to find herself described in such a way. ;)
...a whole new chapter in the jocks vs. nerds war.
Humans may be able to mutate into supermen in the near future
Ironicly, I just got Viagra Spam that used that exact same phrasing...
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
... when you put five of these together!!
"Derp de derp."
I see that there are no gloves for this suit. So... in theory, you have arms that can lift 800lbs, with hands and fingers that will tear off your body at ~500lbs (assuming it's fragile little thing like that guy).
Remind me again why you would want to be able to have superhuman strength when all it's going to do is cause you to smash a body part if not amputate yourself by accident.