Friday, April 5, 2013

E is for Exoskeleton

Look out Iron Man. Stormtroopers. Transformers. The real super exoskeleton is on its way. Forget about the zombie apocalypse. Can a humanoid-robot-cyborg be in our immediate future and walking our streets?  

Exoskeletons, being developed by governments and the private sector, have been making mind-boggling strides in recent years. Thanks to lots of R&D and funding.  

Purpose: increases human strength, agility and endurance capabilities. Ideally, the wearer can walk, run, be agile, and readjust. They allow for mobility and gait and the user can lift more weight than humanly possible. The user can climb stairs and use ramps. They are relentless Just like Iron Man, Except people cannot fly and blast people and aliens. Or will we?  

Exoskeletons are powered by electrical and hydrolic systems and employ sensors and computer processors. These suits can be used on Earth and in space. They can move people, gear, and used in battles.  

Can the exoskeleton one day help people to step out of their wheel chair and walk? Will they help the elderly to rise up and walk like they did in their youth? Perhaps, depending on the type and level of the disability. 

But it is easy to see the amazing and awesome potential for military and civilian uses of exoskeletons.  

Aliens was a fun sci-fi movie that could have been years ahead of its time. Remember Ripley?  

Check out this link for more awesome stuff exoskeletons are being desinged to do ... LINK

19 comments:

  1. No surprise that the government would be interested in this.

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  2. I'm with Sheena, but so glad that I stumbled across your blog. Please visit us at http://citymusecountrymuse2012.blogspot.com/ and sign up if you like what you see.

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  3. I definitely see a future with people who are not 100% 'human.' And do I remember Ripley? Do bears shite in woods? Hecj yeah I remember Ripley, and Hicks and Vasquez and Hudson and of course, Bishop, who should definitely go :)

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  4. It's an incredible innovation. Hate to see people confined to wheelchairs.

    Lee
    A Faraway View
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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  5. Not only can we improve human life from the outside, but also from the inside. In incredible ways. But this is a blog series for another day.

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  6. These are awesome!!! I've been trying to keep up with this, because my dad has had a prosthetic legs since his teens and I have a brother-in-law with MS who can't move from the neck down. I'm excited to see science making leaps and bounds forward to help those with disabilities. The trouble I see is that, as always, there will be a huge expense to these items - because of all the hard work that goes into making them. Insurance doesn't usually cover more than the basics for prosthetic aids.

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  7. That would be great if they helped those in wheelchairs walk.

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  8. I want one of those! Lobsters will have nothing on me. But seriously, what a great invention. Like Diane said above. People who can't walk might be able to do so again. I loved this post.

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    1. I wish they could have invented one of these in time for my dad to take advantage of it. He had a hemorrhagic stroke, it robbed him of his ability to walk, and eventually of his cognition as well.
      I like anyone who says "lobsters will have nothing on me!"

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  9. Hi Chase,
    I hope you are correct and exoskeletons do help those in wheel chairs to walk and give the elderly mobility that they might not otherwise enjoy.
    Interesting post, thanks for sharing.

    I'm out cruising around the A-z landscape and enjoying the many wonderful blogs.

    Have a great A-Z
    Blessings,
    Margot at A Devotional Mosaic and Spark My Creativity

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  10. Happy E, my friend. I used exoskeltons in my short story Small Graces. The whole idea of them is fascinating.

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  11. The idea of locking myself inside a machine gives me the shudders. I watched a film last month with my grandsons in which a man did that and it shot him into space - you probably know which film I mean - and it scared the crap out of me. No thanks!

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  12. The scientific implications of this can't be understated Chase. From disability to search & rescue, the applications are limitless.

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  13. Son, you are talking my language! We've human/robot/cyborgs all over the Netherworld!
    We also have Eddie of Iron Maiden fame.
    E is for Eddie
    And Ripley.
    A Hella Better Story than Alien 3 (with rant)

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  14. Glad you have found some way of doing your blogs Stephen. As for invalids, I have already seen this type of thing used for them to assist them to walk. TV. But its no doubt exoskeletans are a thing of the future which is available in our present. I will catch up on your other blogs over the weekend.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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  15. I love Ripley, Aliens, and that great loader-thing she used. Exoskeletons would be awesome, especially if they could help the handicapped.

    I had a rough time finding you until I begged C.Lee McKenzie and she came through with the new addy. (She rocks!) The Chase Manhattan in your Google+ only has info for people "in your circles." But at least I finally found you! :-)

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  16. A wonderful advance in medical technology.

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  17. Hi Steve .. there is one woman here in the UK who is unable to walk .. and she used a suit similar to this to walk the UK marathon (26 miles) ... last year ...

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17743915

    Incredible what we are achieving medically and technically to help others and those that have suffered life-threatening challenges ...

    Cheers Hilary

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