New exoskeleton developed!

Japan has just unveiled a new exoskeleton/robotic enhancer dubbed the HAL-5. The suit will allow individuals to amplify their existing strength which makes it suitable for the elderly with mobility problems. Inaddition to its more benign uses, the technology I am sure has military overtones that will allow future soldiers a dramatic increase in strength. DARPA may be looking at them.

Exoskeleton

I'd like to see a price for this thing. I definately want to get one of these things. Maybe I'll wait a few years until they're advanced enough to let me throw cars.

Don't quote me on this but I believe these things cost in the realm of 50,000 USD. Of course since it's technology then the price will come down and fast as there is just way too much demand for stuff like this. I live very close to an Old Folks home, this tech could literally help them to get self-suffiecient again.

previous model from April 2005 was $14.000 - $19.000

Link

Originally posted by xu
previous model from April 2005 was $14.000 - $19.000

Link

Much cheaper then I expected. But that is a price estimate so we'll see how much they are when they hit the shops heh. I knew it was 5 figures though heh

5 down, 8,995 to go...

Exoskelingtons if they ever become affordable enough are going to revolutionise industrial areas. No more fork lifts, packing cars will just be a case of strap yourself in & away ya go...I don't really see them usefull in the battlefield though..not unless some funky new nanotechnology is invented to get the size down.

Well that is a good point about the size and its use in the military. I guess I see it as a combination armor/exoskeleton for future military use, and when you see the progress they made from the HAL-3 model I think it is possible.

Ahahaha What a misleading picture lol.....hes lifting a Small Japanese woman up in his arms my girlfriend could carry a 30 kilo lady up the stairs I'm sure lol.

They could of atleast had him carrying something heavy couldn't they?

As an American, I'm not sure whether to think about how it can help the seniors like what was mentioned above, or go with the whole "They're rebuilding their army for WWIII" ideas that first came to mind. It's probably not going to be used like that, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind.

the problem i see with it the hip articulation is limited and it seems to have a hard spine IE no bending... If they can get it to the point where they can follow the full range of motion of a human body then strap armor on it and you got a winner.

I wonder how much a persons strength can be amplified. Say you take a strong person, give him an advanced exoskeleton and a suit of artificial nanotube muscle fibres, what do you think he could do? Lift a car? Jump 10 feet in the air? I know I wouldn't want to mess with someone with that kind strength in battle...

Yea but the technology woudl be available on each side, so basically you would be the same...However I think if they could do it all nanobased it would be even cooler Stil thought it makes you wonder what direction we are heading as a race.

I Smell Mech Warrior 3

But seriously folks, this sort of idea has been around for quite some time, and only recently has the robotics advanced enough to get something like this. Im not really suprized, nor am I curious, because I know what will become of this.

Everything you can possibly think of, given enough time.

People immediately picture "battlefield" uses for stuff like this when in reality if this is used for military purposes at ALL, it would be used for setting up heavy tents and housing facilities and whatnot.

Anything heavy that needs to be carried can be carried in a truck.

Anything heavy that needs to be lifted can be lifted by a forklift, backhoe, etc.

This suit will not replace trucks and backhoes.

What is its use on the ground? Just because the soldier can lift 300 pounds, he can still be shot dead just like anyone else.

I ask you, what use could this possibly have on "the battlefield" (as we call it)?

Zip

They'e been trying to develop Mechs for years, hehe... At least this time there is a practical use..

Just a year or so ago, there was a Time story about military exoskeletons... Wonder what's been done there???

I saw this on Discovery Channel, or something like that. It was pretty cool. I wouldn't necessarily label it an "exoskeleton" since it really doesn't cover the entire body. It seems to be more of a robotic walking aid. The demo I saw was said to be used primarily for elderly people who need assistance getting around.

well if it can lift 300 lb off of the users back then 300 pounds of gear/ammo/weapons/armor might come in handy on the battle field.

I could see a Heavy weapons oporator being added to a platoon inplace of one of the m16's. Not really that heavy a weapong but big enought to do a little more damage like a 50cal chain gun or somthing but most of the weight would be used for armor. I could just see a shell/gernade/somthing explode next to a guy in the suit and nocks him down or tosses him around then then after that he gets up and keeps on fighting becuase all the armor he as on stoped all the fragments from taring him to bits... Also if it could stop small arms fire would be very handy also. Not talking about stoping tank rounds or RPG just small arms. But the mobiltiy and speed would be a real factor in its effective ness. If a trooper can move around with 300 lb of armor and weapons like a grunt with out one holding 120 lb of gear then you would have a winner...

Wow! This guy can lift an 80# woman!

Seriously, though, I think the disabled will benefit more than anyone. The body does a good job of developing so most people to do very heavy work and machines like fork lifts seem to be filling the gap at reasonable costs, now.




[edit on 05/6/15 by GradyPhilpott]

This link on Wired.com may be a useful read, it's kinda in the same area of bot augmented exoskeletons ...

"Dan Rupert crouches inside a 180-pound frame of chrome-myolybdenum steel alloy like a man wearing the bones of a robot gorilla. Metal bars cantilever over his shoulders and down along his arms, terminating in menacing, knuckle-dragging hooks"

Originally posted by shadarlocoth
well if it can lift 300 lb off of the users back then 300 pounds of gear/ammo/weapons/armor might come in handy on the battle field.

^^^ Truck / tank.

I could see a Heavy weapons oporator being added to a platoon inplace of one of the m16's. Not really that heavy a weapong but big enought to do a little more damage like a 50cal chain gun or somthing but most of the weight would be used for armor.

^^^ Tank. (EDIT: I should add, a machine gun is not a practical gun to tote around no matter how much muscle you have. It is simply more effective to fire from a stationary position or a mobile vehicle.)

I could just see a shell/gernade/somthing explode next to a guy in the suit and nocks him down or tosses him around then then after that he gets up and keeps on fighting becuase all the armor he as on stoped all the fragments from taring him to bits...

I can't. Any exoskeleton-like enclosure would be nowhere near a tank or even a Jeep with a .50 cal mount in terms of damage absorption or delivery.

Also if it could stop small arms fire would be very handy also. Not talking about stoping tank rounds or RPG just small arms. But the mobiltiy and speed would be a real factor in its effective ness. If a trooper can move around with 300 lb of armor and weapons like a grunt with out one holding 120 lb of gear then you would have a winner...

It is not only weight that burdens a soldier. Speaking strictly about weapons and ammo, what's the difference between 300 lbs and 50 lbs on a person? If a commander is sending troops so far out from a station or outpost that they need 300 lbs of ammo to make the journey, then that commander should rethink his position in the military.

If we're talking about carrying equipment to set up a station or outpost, then a truck can handle that job much better than a single man with a large backpack.

I see no practical military application for these things. I see limitless applications for empowering people with disabilities and other barriers to mobility.

Zip

[edit on 6/15/2005 by Zipdot]