an unwise thing to say to a drunk decurion: "tua matra bona et succida est"
in other news, I am very close to finalizing the prototype design for an exoskeletal "spine" load-bearing system for use in body-armor, physical therapy, and prosthetic applications.
I will soon have to make a full-scale mockup in light materials as a proff-of-concept before submitting it for machining in T6 aircaft aluminum, 400 inox steel, and teflon before I can say anything definite... but at this stage I think it will work.
Have you considered using gas-filled struts such as are used on automotive liftgates and hoods to assist against the pull of gravity?
Another possibilty would be to use cables and pulleys as in recurve bows, to give assistance to the carrying of normal, and more-than-normal body weight.
The next step in this operation is to use small detonation chambers, as in nail-drivers, for such functions as "jump" or "strike."
Let me know if you need further descriptions, and when we get paid.