Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Saw the new Iron Man movie last night. Thought it pretty much kicked ass and I'm looking forward to future installments. Robert Downey Jr. made a good Tony Stark. I've read some of the reviews that get caught up in the ostensible politics of the thing, but I'd advise you not to get caught up in that. Stark Industries just needs to stick to fully approved government contracts and all will be well. You'll understand when you see the movie.
Anyway, we're not quite up to Iron Man tech, yet, but this article at Scientific American shows the functional level we're achieving. Not bad...
Real-Life Iron Man: A Robotic Suit That Magnifies Human Strength
The prospect of slipping into a robotic exoskeleton that could enhance strength, keep the body active while recovering from an injury or even serve as a prosthetic limb has great appeal. Unlike the svelt body armor donned by Iron Man, however, most exoskeletons to date have looked more like clunky spare parts cobbled together.
Japan's CYBERDYNE, Inc. is hoping to change that with a sleek, white exoskeleton now in the works that it says can augment the body's own strength or do the work of ailing (or missing) limbs. The company is confident enough in its new technology to have started construction on a new lab expected to mass-produce up to 500 robotic power suits (think Star Wars storm trooper without the helmet) annually, beginning in October, according to Japan's Kyodo News Web site...
...CYBERDYNE (which film buffs will recognize as the name of the company that built the ill-fated "Skynet" in the Terminator movies) designed the HAL exoskeleton primarily to enhance the wearer's existing physical capabilities 10-fold. The exoskeleton detects—via a sensor attached to the wearer's skin—brain signals sent to muscles to get them moving. The exoskeleton's computer analyzes these signals to determine how it must move (and with how much force) to assist the wearer. The company claims on its Web site that the device can also operate autonomously (based on data stored in its computer), which is key when used by people suffering spinal cord injuries or physical disabilities resulting from strokes or other disorders...
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