Most of us should be familiar with powered exoskeletons, from the iconic exoskeleton that Ripley used to attack the Alien Queen in the movie Aliens, to powered armour from science fiction militaries like Starship Troopers, Warhammer 40000 or even Battletech.
Recent developments in powered exoskeletons have yielded results that seems to herald the coming of powered exoskeletons as a factual technology. With the company Sarcos apparently having developed a fully functional prototype here. Although rudimentary, it brings the dream of powered movement one step closer to reality.
Complimenting this development would be the discovery of an alternative to bulky servo motors to control such exoskeletons. Engineers from germany have created a sort of artificial muscle, sort of like the "myomer musculature system" in Battletech - for those who know. It is hoped that this technology would do away with the motorised joints that make powered exoskeletons so bulky and unwieldy.
Such technologies have implications for both the civilian and military worlds, such as advanced prosthetics that would be almost indistinguishable from the real thing, or soldiers that are able to carry insane loads while running at speeds previously unimaginable. Of course, it'll be quite a while before the technology reaches maturity.
Powered exoskeleton in the near future
