The "Iron Man" exoskeleton being worked on by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie (left) is eerily similar to the real Exoskeleton (right) being developed at Raytheon.
Posted on 05/02/2008 6:42:02 PM PDT by TLI
PORTLAND, Ore. — The much-ballyhooed movie, "Iron Man," opens in theaters worldwide today (May 2), but the real "iron man" is already under construction at Raytheon Company (Salt Lake City, Utah). Raytheon's Exoskeleton project is the brainchild of project leader Stephen Jacobsen and is being funded by the U.S. Army.
The project, according to the company, permits soldiers to don an Exoskeleton suit that amplifies their strength--enabling them to lift 200-pound payloads without tiring.
The "Iron Man" exoskeleton being worked on by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie (left) is eerily similar to the real Exoskeleton (right) being developed at Raytheon.
In addition to amplifying strength and endurance, Raytheon also claims its Exoskeleton can increase a soldier's agility--enabling feats similar to those demonstrated--courtesy CGI (computer-generated imagery)--by the "Iron Man" in the film. Raytheon's Sarcos team, which has been developing the Exoskeleton since 2000, has demonstrated its wearer performing feats of strength as well as agility, including kicking a soccer ball, working out on a punching bag, climbing up stairs and navigating rough terrain.
As the ultimate mechatronics realization, sensors follow the soldiers own movements, which microcontrollers then transfer to the actuators in the Exoskeleton. Jacobsen's stated goal is to create an Exoskeleton suit that enables humans to "work inside robots" instead of just alongside them.
Past efforts at creating exoskeleton suits include Honda's "Hal-5," which was designed in 2006 by Tsukuba University engineering professor Yoshiyuki Sankai to help medical workers to lift and carry an elderly person.
The "Iron Man" exoskeleton being worked on by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie (left) is eerily similar to the real Exoskeleton (right) being developed at Raytheon.
I'm NOT impressed.
Tony Stark had a bad heart - do either of these suits overcome this disability?
It seems that all the 60’s and 70’s superpower characters of Stan Lee’s Marvel Comics are destined in at least one Hollywood movie. So whose next? I haven’t yet seen PowerMan on the silver screen.
New Hulk movie starring Ed Norton.
“The Ironman suit looks good.
The Raytheon deal looks like a drunk used an erector set “
The Ironman suit is not real and does not work, though. It’s a movie prop.
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Has he lost his mind?,
Can he see or is he blind
Can he walk at all?
Or if he moves will he fall?
It seems similar to what Raytheon has. Perhaps in time we'll get Tony Stark's version.
Now clean sober and conservative. That was then, this is now.
I think that would be a good idea actually. As long as they don’t dress in that crappy 1970’s disco stuff.
You alude to the 1977 TV pilot Exo-Man?
Tony Stark (Iron Man’s alter ego) was an alcoholic in the comic books. Probably a very good piece of casting.
That was exactly what I was thinking of when I saw the Raytheon suit, too!
My guess is there's another department in Raytheon, or another company for that matter, that's already working on the material for the exoskeleton.
Put the two together and you have an Iron Man suit.
“The “Iron Man” exoskeleton being worked on by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie (left) is eerily similar to the real Exoskeleton (right) being developed at...”
It’s the other way around. I was reading Iron Man back in the early sixties when he looked like a bullet head.
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