Raytheon Exoskeleton Brings "Iron Man" to Life

An anonymous reader writes "Raytheon is bringing 'Iron Man' to life, according to EETimes. 'The movie opens in theaters worldwide today, but the real "iron man" has already been under construction at Raytheon Company (Salt Lake City, Utah) since 2000. Raytheon's Exoskeleton project is the brainchild of project leader Stephen Jacobsen and is being funded by the U.S. Army. The project, according to the company, permits soldiers to don an Exoskeleton suit that amplifies their strength — enabling them to lift 200-pound payloads without tiring.'"

Comments

Favorite part of the story

[93 Escort Wagon]

In addition to amplifying strength and endurance, Raytheon also claims its Exoskeleton can increase a soldier's agility--enabling feats similar to those demonstrated--courtesy CGI (computer-generated imagery)--by the "Iron Man" in the film. Raytheon's Sarcos team, which has been developing the Exoskeleton since 2000, has demonstrated its wearer performing feats of strength as well as agility, including kicking a soccer ball, working out on a punching bag, climbing up stairs and navigating rough terrain. Yeah, I really hope that's what is in the movie - Iron Man playing soccer; Iron Man hitting a punching bag; and Iron Man climbing some stairs.

Re:Favorite part of the story

[B3ryllium]

"navigating rough terrain" is clearly a coded phrase meaning "flying around being badass and blowing shit up"

Re:Another movie slashvertisment

[Anonymous Coward]

must be a crap film if they have to market it on slashdot twice in week In soviet Russia, if man crap twice in week, market slashdotted.

Re:Raytheon

[spun]

is but ONE of many who develop such stuff.
The exo-skeleton concept has been around for
MANY years, just grab an old copy of Popular
Science from the 1960's. The subject was
"Man Amplifiers". Nothing to see here. Yeah, old news. I see that same subject of "Man Amplifiers" in my email every day.

no but they did hire Halle Berry

[commodoresloat]

for a topless sunbathing scene

Oh yea - just what I was picturing.

[nilbog]

Yea, those look exactly the same.

It's like saying we already have jetpacks then pointing at a trampoline.

Re:Another movie slashvertisment

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

And corporatism, and empire, and technophilic military priapism.

Re:Huh?

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

What the heck does ballyhooed mean?
It means it was the subject of an Indian Musical film, my dear.

Re:Another movie slashvertisment

[Anonymous Coward]

Which is AWESOME.

Re:The bad buy sucks.

[ubergamer1337]

One of the links in the article leads to a page about a company called Cyberdyne creating a robotic exoskeleton named HAL... http://www.cyberdyne.jp/English/robotsuithal/index.html

Top 11 problems...

[Anonymous Coward]

I sure hope they've addressed the Top Eleven Problems with Having an Iron Suit?

Re:Missing ability

[dctoastman]

Yes, because in a gravity deficient environment, we need a robot that can lift 200lbs. comfortably.

Re:I Saw It

[AGMW]

... it makes you sound stupid.

Does it now. Tell me, do you hear a lot of stupid? Well, I remember a wise man once saying stupid is as stupid does.

STEP AWAY FROM THE STUPID

Re:I Saw It

[Oligonicella]

The irony is he uses terms such as "too stupid", "they dish out", "appeal to the lowest common denominator" and "ignorant mentality" in a distinct attempt to segregate himself from them.

Eerily similar? What?

[Yvan256]

The "Iron Man" exoskeleton being worked on by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie (left) is eerily similar to the real Exoskeleton (right) being developed at Raytheon.

Can somebody give a pair of glasses to Johnson?

Re:I Saw It

[Hal_Porter]

Not only that, those words sound like they come straight out of some prescribed, remedial "Talking Points for Socialist/Activist Dummies" book. Shouldn't that be proscribed?