Working exoskeleton for paraplegics!

[Zorag]

Listening to CNN.  They had a story about a working exoskeleton.  You should be able to see the video on CNN.com.  I am very excited about this.  The future is here.  My father was a quadraplegic and spent 20 years depending on others.  Through hard work, and with some braces, he could do some things that we all take for granted.  Like feed himself.  We lost dad in 1998, but this news still lifts my spirits.  This is a bittersweet moment for me. 

[Zorag]

Here's a link to the company that makes the product. 

http://berkeleybionics.com/exoskeletons-rehab-mobility/

I haven't read up on them yet, will do that later tonight, hopefully.

[stePH]

Here's a link to the company that makes the product. 

http://berkeleybionics.com/exoskeletons-rehab-mobility/

I haven't read up on them yet, will do that later tonight, hopefully.

Empowering the disabled is a fine and noble use of technology.

But you just know the DOD's gonna be using it to make powered armor.

[Zorag]

I was thinking there would be commercial development for industrial use before military.  The tech is still too slow and bulky.  BattleTech forestry mechs would be a good example.

[stePH]

I was thinking there would be commercial development for industrial use before military.  The tech is still too slow and bulky.  BattleTech forestry mechs would be a good example.

Ah, you're probably right. My line of thinking bypassed BattleTech and went straight to Starsiege:Tribes.

[Zorag]

We are such geeks!  I also thought of the cargo loader from Aliens.

[Planish]

But you just know the DOD's gonna be using it to make powered armor.

Close.

In 2009, we licensed the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC™) technology to Lockheed Martin Corporation — a company devoted to creating innovative solutions for the global security challenges of today and tomorrow — and are further developing it for military and industrial uses.

It looks more like a load-carrying device for now, but it's just a matter of time.

And then there's Boston Dynamic's BigDog packbot project.
Videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Just a little too far into the uncanny valley, or what?