Iron Man prototype?

[mitchedwards]

This is a new exoskeloton being tested for the Army.

LiveLeak.com - Exoskeleton Turns Humans Into Terminators.

[Zemo]

Awesome, looks like it has potential.

[EmergencyIan]

That is very cool.Thanks for the link. That was a lot of fun to watch!

The simpler version of it I can see being in use within the next 10 years, but I think the more complex enclosed version that can perform on it's own I don't see being employed for quite a few years.



- Ian

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Very interesting. Wouldn't look that great in superhero tights just yet though

[ctc]

Neat!

The frame in this film is based on a smaller version of the GE Hardiman they were monkeying around with in the 70's. They've had theis technology for a while; unreliable as it was, but didn't pursue it too much. WAY expensive. (Anyone remember the GE 4-legged car?) Part of why the army wants stuff like this now is 'cos of all the widgets they strap on a soldier these days. Extra armour, weapons, and tons of electronic doodads weigh a lot.

They're pretty close to making actual power armour; but it's WAY expensive. Some of the stuff I've heard about:

-Predator-esque camoflage. I guess the Japanese have made LCD cloth that does the trick; more or less. And the Brits have made an "invisible" tank that works like this. (Kinda funny.... tanks are huge, loud, and have heat signatures you can see from orbit.)

-they're working on armour with a series of hydraulic tubes; like a flight suit. A computer would register when you've been hit, and use the tubes to tournequeit off injured areas. They're also thinking about an autoinjector that'd pump you full of happyjuice when the computer registered your vitals dropping from fatigue or damage.

-One report talked about assigning sections of troops these weird little robot drones that they could send in for recce. (Another report talked about poacking the drones with explosives...)

.....mmmm..... Warhammer 40K....

Don C.