US military develops powered exoskeleton

[Vekseid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7351399.stm

This has been in the works for about a decade now, I still remember the original proposal. It's rather cool : )

[Nimue]

Oh my, that is pretty awesome! 

[Sabby]

Duuuuude.... do want!

[Psi]

And don't forget the possible domestic uses for this technology.

For all those girls who cannot open the jar because the lid is too tight...

Reaching just that little bit further to grab that bottle of Bundy, and activating the lazy man functions..    <Activate Drink: Insert straw and pipe Bundy to mouth>

[Sabby]

Domestic uses? Like flipping my neighbours car over?

[OldSchoolGamer]

Heinlein actually sketched out the concept decades ago in Starship Troopers.  The powered armor and waldos were noticeably absent from the movie--CGI budget constraints, from what I heard.

The book was a lot more in-depth and imaginative than the movie.  The movie was passable entertainment, but it really didn't do Heinlein's story justice.

[Sabby]

Thems fightin' woids! *lufts that movie to death*

[Spookie Monster]

Interested maidens and monsters might also want to check out Robot Suit HAL.

(And yeah, it's really manufactured by CYBERDYNE Inc....)

Spel

[Kitikat]

This, as an offshoot of robotics, is one of my personal deep and abiding interests :)

By far the biggest problem with the system is the power supply... carrying the power needed to power the suit for any reasonable length of time would negate any benefit the suit offers :(

This is (one of the reasons) why I'm also so interested in electric cars, such as the Tesla Roadster (as my current favourite). Car industry investment in better battery tech might be exactly what the planet needs :)

[Spookie Monster]

Car industry investment in better battery tech might be exactly what the planet needs :)

Absolutely.  For better or for worse, individuals and institutions seem to have been focusing on the development of new and more efficient energy sources.  I mean, that's cool, I guess -- we do need new and more efficient energy sources -- but we also need to be able to move and store energy.  It's just like food: Plenty of food is produced in this world, but because we suck at transporting it and storing it good people starve.

Battery technology is indeed way, way out of date.  Hopefully it will catch up soon.  Then come the power suits... then come the robots... then come the sexbots!  FINALLY!

Spel

[Kitikat]

then come the robots... then come the sexbots!  FINALLY!

Spel

Hee!

Actually, sexbots appear to be one of the driving elements. Quite aside from 'realdolls' and the various sex machines (from vibes on up to those scary things with levers and the stuff), we're also starting to see the emergence of toys like Femisapien (http://www.robotsrule.com/html/femisapien.php - who can 'kiss and hold hands') and the growing range of 'Companion bots' (http://www.cogniron.org/)

But yeah, storing and transporting energy properly is the main holy grail for the planet, I think.

[ZK]

Femisapien reminds me of the combat suits from the anime Bubblegum Crisis.