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"The permanent government now is the anchorpeople. They don't get elected, and year after year they're responding emotionally to this or that."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
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| Exoskeleton | ||
| Fighting suit |
The exoskeleton fighting suit is, of course, a popular item of technovelgy. I think the first reference I can find is in Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein (see powered suit).
| The Lieutenant Colonel was extremely dead. He'd come down from the heavens in his full NAFTA military power-armor, a leaping, brick-busting, lightning-spewing exoskeleton, all acronyms and input jacks. It was powerful, elaborate gear, of an entirely different order than the gooey and fibrous street tech of the two urban intrusion freaks.
But the high-impact crash had not been kind to the armored suit. It had been crueler still to the bone, blood, and tendon housed inside. |
| Technovelgy from A Good Old-Fashioned Future,
by Bruce Sterling. Published by Random House in 1999 Additional resources -
|
Of course, an exoskeleton can only do so much. Exoskeleton just means that the skeleton, the bony support for the soft parts of the body, is on the outside, where it can do double duty as armor (as well as support).
See the longer discussion for polycarbon exo, from Mona Lisa Overdrive, by William Gibson.
Take a look at this very nicely done anime treatment of exoskeletons. Be warned - you'll want to go fire up your exo right after watching it.
Thanks to Chris Johnston for finding this video.
See also this Sarcos XOS exoskeleton video for a look at a real-life exoskeleton under development.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from A Good Old-Fashioned Future
More Ideas
and Technology by Bruce Sterling
Tech news articles related to A Good Old-Fashioned Future
Tech news articles related to works by Bruce Sterling
Exoskeleton-related
news articles:
- Muscle Suit Tokyo Exoskeleton Power Workout
| Liquid Body Armor For TALOS Exoskeleton |
| DIY Taser-Proof Clothing |
| Look Great In Your Garrison Bespoke Bulletproof Suit |
| Bionic Body Armor Makes You Dodge Bullets |
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'...small electric motors at the principal joints worked the prosthetic framework by means of steel cables...'
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'Twoflower's Luggage, which was currently ambling along on its little legs...'
'He came to as the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola over the plains...'
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
