US army develops robotic suits
Byrnzie
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Good to know your taxes are being spent wisely, right?
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 23:30 UK
US army develops robotic suits
By Rajesh Mirchandani
BBC News, Utah
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7349371.stm
On the big screen, films like Robocop, Universal Soldier and forthcoming release Iron Man show man-machines with superhuman powers. But in Utah they are turning science fiction into reality.
We are at a research facility on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, ringed by beautiful snow-capped mountains. Once they held the Winter Olympics here; now they are testing endurance in other ways.
The aluminium limbs gleam in the brilliant sunshine, as the strange metal skeleton hangs from a safety harness at the outdoor testing site. It seems to be treading water; actually its programme is telling it to keep the hydraulic fluid in its joints moving.
Rex Jameson, a software engineer here at laboratories run by Sarcos, the robotics firm which designed the XOS exoskeleton, steps up and into the suit.
The lightweight aluminium exoskeleton, called XOS, senses Rex's every move and instantly moves with him; it is almost like a shadow or a second skin. It is designed for agility that can match a human's, but with strength and endurance that far outweigh our abilities.
With the exoskeleton on and fully powered up, Rex can easily pull down weight of more than 90 kilos, more than he weighs.
For the army the XOS could mean quicker supply lines, or fewer injuries when soldiers need to lift heavy weights or move objects around repeatedly. Initial models would be used as workhorses, on the logistics side.
Later models, the army hopes, could go into combat, carrying heavier weapons, or even wounded colleagues.
There are still problems to solve, not least how to create a mobile power supply that can last an effective length of time.
But the US military expects to take delivery of these early prototypes next year, and hopefully deploy some refined versions within eight years.
It is a long way off before we see robot soldiers that can fly or fire missiles - like in the movies - but the designers are already imagining future versions more reminiscent of Hollywood.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 23:30 UK
US army develops robotic suits
By Rajesh Mirchandani
BBC News, Utah
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7349371.stm
On the big screen, films like Robocop, Universal Soldier and forthcoming release Iron Man show man-machines with superhuman powers. But in Utah they are turning science fiction into reality.
We are at a research facility on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, ringed by beautiful snow-capped mountains. Once they held the Winter Olympics here; now they are testing endurance in other ways.
The aluminium limbs gleam in the brilliant sunshine, as the strange metal skeleton hangs from a safety harness at the outdoor testing site. It seems to be treading water; actually its programme is telling it to keep the hydraulic fluid in its joints moving.
Rex Jameson, a software engineer here at laboratories run by Sarcos, the robotics firm which designed the XOS exoskeleton, steps up and into the suit.
The lightweight aluminium exoskeleton, called XOS, senses Rex's every move and instantly moves with him; it is almost like a shadow or a second skin. It is designed for agility that can match a human's, but with strength and endurance that far outweigh our abilities.
With the exoskeleton on and fully powered up, Rex can easily pull down weight of more than 90 kilos, more than he weighs.
For the army the XOS could mean quicker supply lines, or fewer injuries when soldiers need to lift heavy weights or move objects around repeatedly. Initial models would be used as workhorses, on the logistics side.
Later models, the army hopes, could go into combat, carrying heavier weapons, or even wounded colleagues.
There are still problems to solve, not least how to create a mobile power supply that can last an effective length of time.
But the US military expects to take delivery of these early prototypes next year, and hopefully deploy some refined versions within eight years.
It is a long way off before we see robot soldiers that can fly or fire missiles - like in the movies - but the designers are already imagining future versions more reminiscent of Hollywood.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
BBC news website in English, not Chinese.
I actually think this is pretty cool. Plus it could totally lead to worthwhile civilian applications like assisting people with disabilities. I mean think about it, you could basically give someone who is a paraplegic the ability to walk with something like this.
nice job shutting him up.
Yeah, coz the military are in the business of creating equipment for disabled people?
The military's humanitarian efforts at home must have just slipped my mind.
You have never heard of military technology being adapted for civilian use? Military research pretty much developed the internet. Lots of people drive Jeep's which were developed first for the military. German V2 Rocket research played a huge role in the space program and NASA. Even the development air plane technology took off like crazy because of both WW1 and WW2. Those are just examples I thought up off the top of my head. Sure maybe the military might not develop the equipment themselves, but it doesn't mean their research can't be adapted by other people once the military has done a big chunk of the development.
Sure. Bill Gates was U.S navy seal at one time, right?
So, you're saying that we need to thank two world wars and the Nazi's for our creature comforts? Errm, sure...thanks!
Oh, and you forgot to pay homage to those who dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. Without their grounbreaking research efforts we wouldn't have any nuclear power stations polluting the environment.
LOL Bill gates didnt invent the internet.
give it up man. you got pwned.
You actually think Bill Gates was the first one to come up with an internet style network? Do a google search on Arpanet then get back to me.
You don't have to thank anyone for anything. But if you think that military technology (like this robot suit) can't possibly be adapted for civilian use that is pretty short sited of you, since as my examples showed it has been done many times in the past.
Fuck me, I've got myself a stalker!
Your examples showed that there have been scientific advancements as a by-product of war. At no point have you demonstrated any peace-time, benevolent inventions by the military.
This thread was about the invention of a robot designed to kill people. I don't think the inventor had disabled people in mind whilst devising new ways to kill and cripple people. Unless he was thinking long-term.
It's like saying Oppenheimer was thinking of warm homes and electric blankets when he witnessed his first mushroom cloud. Give me a break.
I never said that the robotic suit would be a benevolent invention. All I pointed out was that once something is invented by the military it can be adapted for civilian use. I mean tell me why someone couldn't take those designs for a robot suit and adapt them so that in the future they can be used to help disabled people, the same way that the Jeep was designed for war zones, but now I can go down to a Chrysler Dealership and by a Wrangler for my own use. What the inventor had in mind when he developed this thing has no relevance to the point I was making.
Well, who knows.
I always was a fan of the bionic man.
Here is a good video on the suit, yup sure looks like its completely designed to murder people...
Oh and the military is not building it, its a private company
'Later models, the army hopes, could go into combat, carrying heavier weapons..'
As long as you think you're taxes are being spent wisely, then great. I'm sure a few homeless people would disagree.
The Internet was developed to keep communication lines open in case of a nuclear war with the Soviets. Theory being, you can knock out a main center, but command and control could stay online because of a web, instead of singular lines. It was due to the Department of Defense.
...
As for the Jeep and Rocket Technology, Jet Engines and swept winged aircraft development were spin-offs of war. In fact... between 1903 and 1945, air travel went from non-existant to breaking the sound barrier. Most of the advancements came about because of War... and many of the advanced theroies came out of Nazi Germany.
Hail, Hail!!!