Human Universal Load Carrier Exoskeleton From Berkeley Bionics
The Human Universal Load Carrier, the latest exoskeleton from Berkeley Bionics, is now available for advance orders. According to the company, a HULC user can walk normally while carrying up to 200 pounds of additional weight.
The system consists of the following:
Two powered anthropomorphic legs
A power unit
A small onboard microcomputer
Backpack frame for heavy loads
Take a look at this video of the Human Universal Load Carrier in action.
For science-fictional examples of exoskeletons, see the titanium exoskeleton from A Specter is Haunting Texas (Fritz Lieber, 1968) and the powered armor from Starship Troopers (Robert Heinlein, 1959)
You might need some sort of power-assist to work through these real-life exoskeleton stories:
Humanoid Robots Building Humanoid Robots
''Pardon me, Struthers,' he broke in suddenly... 'haven't you a section of the factory where only robot labor is employed?'' - Isaac Asimov (1940)
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!)
is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for
the Invention Category that interests
you, the Glossary, the Invention
Timeline, or see what's New.
Humanoid Robots Building Humanoid Robots
''Pardon me, Struthers,' he broke in suddenly... 'haven't you a section of the factory where only robot labor is employed?''
Stratospheric Solar Geoengineering From Harvard
'Pina2bo would have to operate full blast for many years to put as much SO2 into the stratosphere as its namesake had done in a few minutes.'