human augmentation
"Iron Man" fans rejoice: real exoskeletons are coming.
Japanese company Cyberdyne has plans to start selling their model, the HAL-5 Robot Suit later this year. The American company
Sarcos has its own prototype out, too, so the race is on for new generations of exoskeletons that can do everything humans an do, only better (and fly, too). But while you're watching
videos of the two exos performing jaw-dropping feats of strength, MIT biomechatronics researcher Hugh Herr is getting ready to blow your mind by building building prosthetic limbs that could have all the super powers of exos. For the moment he's focused on helping people with disabilities, but he thinks it won't be long before we'll be implanting "bions" inside our body and considering swapping out our biological legs for the shiny new pair in the storefront window.
More »
io9
robots
