Human Exoskeletons Getting Closer

ColdWetDog writes "It's not Sigourney Weaver tossing aliens about, but The Register has an interesting blurb about a real human-capable exoskeleton that looks pretty cool (Lockheed-Martin press release). Runs for three hours at 3 mph on internal batteries; max speed is 7 mph. Of course, no price is listed but I suppose if you have to ask you can't afford it. Team this up with a Big Dog and you've got the ultimate high-tech cross-country team. Bring your own batteries. Or just wait for your jetpack to arrive."

Comments

Why America sucks

[BadAnalogyGuy]

I don't hate America, I love it. I wish only the best things for this country.

But I hate articles like this, and I hate the truly American values it reveals.

Why is it that when Americans think of powered exoskeletons, the first thing they think of is soldiers? It's really sad that militaristic thinking has pervaded almost every facet of our society.

Compare that to Japan's take on exoskeletons. Over there, they think of how these things can be used in day-to-day activities to help people. It's a far cry from a fat-ass soldier lugging around a giant backpack and a gun.

I can only hope that the wisdom of the American people that was so on display when Obama was elected will bring an end to our fascination and worship of our military.

Re:Why America sucks

[BadAnalogyGuy]

No, I'm suggesting that in a time where much of the country has been stirred into anti-immigrant sentiment, anti-intellectual sentiment, an all or nothing mindset, a with us or against mindset, and a government with policies to match, that people were able to elect someone who speaks clearly in full sentences instead of jingos and soundbites, who has a background living in many different parts of this great country and experiences exceeding that of most Americans, and who is progressive thinking, inclusionist, and open-minded.

Maybe you think he's special because he's black. I don't know what that says about you. You can figure that out yourself.

But it says a lot about the American people at that one brief moment in time to have chosen someone so at odds with the general zeitgeist. I'm not talking about Obama as President here. I'm talking about the opportunity to change and grow as Americans. The article and video showing off this technology as a military tool leaves me less hopeful.

Re:Why America sucks

[Nailor]

I don't hate America, I love it. I wish only the best things for this country.

But I hate articles like this, and I hate the truly American values it reveals.

Why is it that when Americans think of powered exoskeletons, the first thing they think of is soldiers?

War and military industry just tend to do that: invent things to help you win the battles easier. It's always been like that.

War (even the one now in Iraq) is a quite good accelerator for military industry research and the industry creates a variety of products during a war. The bigger the war the bigger the influence on technology.

Even though it's bad that the things are developed for the military, the research eventually helps normal people: when the war ends, the military companies start selling licenses for the products or continue researching to create a product for consumer markets.

War so far has been a huge boost in techonology, if you think inventions like nuclear power, radar, V2 missiles, which later on lead to the Saturn V, medical breakthroughs (especially in first aid) etc.

Impact of the war on technology is just something you just can't deny.

Re:Why America sucks

[Anonymous Coward]

And in America it will be only obese people, just like they're the only one with little motorized carts. In the rest of the world requiring some type of machine just to 'walk' around would make people ashamed and commit seppuku.

Re:Why America sucks

[timmarhy]

"Maybe you think he's special because he's black"

throwing the question back at me is high school debating tactics. but fyi, i don't care either way, i'm not american. take it from someone removed from your countries politics and hype - he hasn't really changed how your country is percieved around the world. it's going to take a lot more than a new figure head to change that.

Re:Why America sucks

[Renegade88]

Who's buying the new technology? I'm sure Lockheed will gladly make such an exoskeleton for peaceful purposes as soon as purchase orders from civilian entities come in. If the military is the only customer for the technology, you can't complain that Lockheed is marketing it with it's military applications.

And lay off the political shit, everyone's had enough of Obama the Chosen. Tell us how special he is after 3 years of service to the country, thanks.

Re:Why America sucks

[dfenstrate]

he hasn't really changed how your country is percieved around the world. it's going to take a lot more than a new figure head to change that.

Hate to burst your bubble, but much of America only cares about the opinion of nations and people we respect.

That's a shorter list than you might think.

If I think your government and people are soft, effette, and shirk from the duty of free men everywhere, I'm not going to be particularly interested in what you think of me and my country.

This is especially true if I know your displeasure is a particularly common sort- that is, an impotent oral rage.

Energy density

[mcrbids]

Projects like this are always limited by a single factor: energy density.

Loads of heavy batteries that only seem to last an hour or so, or loud, smelly, fault-prone ICEs are par for the course. See, millions of years of evolution have resulted in bodies that are surprisingly efficient in a wide variety of circumstances and pack loads of energy into a very little weight. When your body truly runs out of energy in sustained exhaustion, it can even burn its own motor (muscle tissue) for a last bit of energy!

The problems are many and severe. It will be a while before exoskeletons are worth much.

Re:Energy density

[timmarhy]

no, but i can walk 25 miles in a day on a single plate of food without even having to go to extemes like burning muscle. pound for pound we convert food into energy far more efficently than any engine.

Exoskeletons will be of little value to soldiers

[Colin Smith]

The power requirements mean it will have to dissipate huge amounts of heat, generate lots of noise which means it'll essentially be carrying a "shoot me!" sign and individuals without any form of body power assist can already kill tanks, bring down helicopter gunships etc.

As a form of fork lift I can see some advantages in logistics, but not on the sharp end of a military.