Raytheon, a US defense contractor, has made great strides in developing effective exoskeletons. Its new model, the XOS 2, recently went on public display in Salt Lake City. Dave Freeman of CrunchGear was there for the demo:
Sarcos has been working with automation for years (including the fountain at the Bellagio), and the XOS2 uses hydraulics to enable a wearer to lift massive amounts of weight without feeling the strain. More importantly, the person wearing the suit can lift these weights repetitively without feeling the strain. The XOS 2 has a quite impressive 17:1 lifting ratio, so when the person wearing the suit lifts 170 pounds, they only need to exert enough force to lift 10 pounds.
At the link, you can watch two videos of the XOS 2 in action.
Link | Product Site | Photo: CrunchGear
Previously on Neatorama:
Infantry Exoskeleton Carries 200 Pounds
Powered Exoskeleton Can Lift 220 Pounds
Functional Exoskeleton for the Disabled
I have always been a fan of robotics. It is cool to see the imporvements form the XOS 1
@trekkerjay
Bipedal vehicles won't ever happen.