Want a piece of me boy?
Exoskeletons have come a long way. Previous exoskeletons were bulky, required a massive tethered power supply, and just implausible. Science has changed that.
These exoskeleton frameworks could form the foundation for armored power suits in the future. Although the terran marine unit in Starcraft complains of being in a chicken suit, these things will save lives and facilitate victory in the future, assuming robots haven’t filled the role or that war itself isn’t obsolete. Besides serving as advanced armor, they can provide heating or air conditioning, biological/chemical/nuclear protection, basic medical assistance and monitoring, combat communication networks and interactive electronics. Need to stay on guard but need some sleep? Program your suit’s sensors to wake you at any moment of danger.
Regardless, these suits will be very important safety and productivity equipment for construction workers and other forms of demanding labor. I can imagine other civilians putting this technology to good use too.
Independent Work
When it comes to hobbies, this man’s blog is very interesting, he is independently building various life size exoskeleton armors (and working guns) from video games with his very own metal mill http://vrogy.net/
Here is a working schematic for his terran marine suit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vrogy/1483499686/ (interactive flash)
And everyone knows this famous guy, Troy Hurtubise, featured many times on Discovery Channel for his decades long independent project of building a suit that can withstand a Grizzly bear attack after being mauled by a Grizzly himself:
Corporate Projects
The (Incredible) Hulc looks like a very light but powerful exoskeleton, when battery, design, and exoskeleton technology further improve this could be mandatory wear by combat soldiers and mechanics. Check out Lockheed Martin’s short HULC promo video:
The HAL 5 by Cyberdyne (no kidding), is a Japanese suit that has its own glowing panels, which could merge in future iterations to become a form of armor. I love the naming process when it comes to english words in Japan, whether it’s superbeings named after underwear in Dragon Ball or armored suits ominously named after Hollywood science fiction.
http://www.cyberdyne.jp/English/index.html
These suits can even be marketed towards old ladies that want to do a little gardening! The one below looks like an older version of HAL or a different corporation’s model.
For aging gardeners/farmers
Wait a few years of iterations, combine Vrogny’s armor with the HULC and HAL’s powered skeleton, and you have Iron Man. However, in this case it doesn’t have to be built in a dank cave monitored by terrorists.
