AP: ROBOTIC SUIT COULD USHER IN "SUPER SOLDIER" ERA

[MichaelDoran]

by MARK JEWELL, AP Business Writer

BOSTON (AP) _ Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly, and plays tennis and skis when time allows. But the 5-foot-11 (1.8-meter), 180-pound (82-kilogram) software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds (90.7 kilogram) _ that is, until he steps into an ``exoskeleton'' of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times.

With the outfit's claw-like metal hand extensions, he gripped a weight set's bar at a recent demonstration and knocked off hundreds of repetitions. Once, he did 500.

``Everyone gets bored much more quickly than I get tired,'' Jameson said.

Jameson _ who works for robotics firm Sarcos Inc. in Salt Lake City, which is under contract with the U.S. Army _ is helping assess the 150-pound (68-kilogram) suit's viability for the soldiers of tomorrow. The suit works by sensing every movement the wearer makes and almost instantly amplifying it.

The Army believes soldiers may someday wear the suits in combat, but it is focusing for now on applications such as loading cargo or repairing heavy equipment. Sarcos is developing the technology under a two-year contract worth up to $10 million (euro6.5 million), and the Army plans initial field tests next year.

Before the technology can become practical, the developers must overcome cost barriers and extend the suit's battery life. Jameson was tethered to power cords during his demonstration because the current battery lasts just 30 minutes.

But the technology already offers evidence that robotics can amplify human muscle power in reality _ not just in the realm of comic books and movies like the recently debuted ``Iron Man,'' about a wealthy weapons designer who builds a high-tech suit to battle bad guys.

``Everybody likes the idea of being a superhero, and this is all about expanding the capabilities of a human,'' said Stephen Jacobsen, chief designer of the Sarcos suit.

The Army's exoskeleton research dates to 1995, but has yet to yield practical suits. Sarcos' technology sufficiently impressed Raytheon Co., however, that the Waltham, Massachusetts-based defense contractor bought Sarcos' robotics business last November. Sarcos also has developed robotic dinosaurs for a Universal Studios' ``Jurassic Park'' theme park ride.

Jack Obusek, a former colonel now with the Army's Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in the Boston suburb of Natick, foresees robot-suited soldiers unloading heavy ammunition boxes from helicopters, lugging hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of gear over rough terrain or even relying on the suit's strength-enhancing capabilities to make repairs to tanks that break down in inconvenient locations.

Sarcos' Jacobsen envisions factory workers someday using the technology to perform manual labor more easily, and firefighters more quickly carrying heavy gear up stairwells of burning buildings. Disabled people also may find uses for the technology, he said.

``We see the value being realized when these suits can be built in great numbers for both military and commercial uses, and they start coming down in cost to within the range of the price of a small car,'' said Jacobsen. He declined to estimate how much the suit might cost in mass production.

But cost is not the only obstacle. For example, developers eventually hope to lengthen the suit's backpack battery's life and tinker with the suit's design to use less energy. Meanwhile, the suit can draw power from a generator, a tank or helicopter. And there are gas engines that, while noisy, are small enough to fit into the suit's backpack.

``The power issue is probably the No. 1 challenge standing in the way of getting this thing in the field,'' Obusek said.

But he said Sarcos appears to have overcome the key challenge of pairing super-fast microprocessors with sensors that detect movements by the body's joints and transmit data about them to the suit's internal computer.

Much as the brain sends signals to tendons to get muscles to move, the computer sends instructions to hydraulic valves. The valves mimic tendons by driving the suit's mechanical limbs, replicating and amplifying the wearer's movements almost instantly.

``With all the previous attempts at this technology, there has been a slight lag time between the intent of the human, and the actual movement of the machine,'' Obusek said.

In the demonstration, the bulky suit slowed Jameson a bit, but he could move almost normally. When a soccer ball was thrown at him, he bounced it back off his helmeted head. He repeatedly struck a punching bag and, slowly but surely, he climbed stairs in the suit's clunky aluminum boots, which made him look like a Frankenstein monster.

``It feels less agile than it is,'' Jameson said. ``Because of the way the control laws work, it's ever so slightly slower than I am. And because we are so in tune with our bodies' responses, this tiny delay initially made me tense.''

Now, he is used to it.

``I can regain my balance naturally after stumbling _ something I discovered completely by accident.''

Learning was easy, he said.

``It takes no special training, beyond learning to relax and trust the robot,'' he said.

[J. Dincauze]

Damn, I want one!

[soupcan58]

Originally Posted by MichaelDoran

``It takes no special training, beyond learning to relax and trust the robot,'' he said.

And once that starts happening, it's all over for humanity...

[Edogawa1983]

Tony Stark's Nightmare, someone else would have the Iron Man technology

[Knowbrainer]

Any bets on how long before someone tries to steal the suit for either good (helping worthy causes) or bad reasons (robbing banks or furthering terrorist movements)? Even if this remained a U.S. forces thing, it would only take one falling into the wrong hands for things to get ugly quickly.

[StripedTiger]

Get away from her you BITCH!

...sorry...couldnt help myself...

[Peasily]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IYWd2C3XVIk

Article:

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/articl...-real-iron-man

[Dallas Bar]

Well predicted, Mr Heinlein.

[ejulp]

I don't get it, wars of the future won't be won man to man...that ended with WWII. Money should be put to develop BRAND new technologies (new information)...the success of economy will win invisible economic warfare much better than, "my man can beat up your man better." A warsuit might trump your ak-47...but when the former can't afford to buy a sandwich or fuel up his armor...well you get the point.

[John Chi]

Originally Posted by Knowbrainer

Any bets on how long before someone tries to steal the suit for either good (helping worthy causes) or bad reasons (robbing banks or furthering terrorist movements)? Even if this remained a U.S. forces thing, it would only take one falling into the wrong hands for things to get ugly quickly.

Wow, you kids read waaay too many comics. Wake up and smell the real world. There's already a lot of hi-tech U.S. military vehicles in existence already. When was the last time you heard of bank robbers or sandle wearing terrorists stealing and being able to pilot Stealth Bombers or M1 Abrams tanks? Or some hero billionare stealing Unmanned Aircrafts and using them to "save the world"? If anything, it's Russian technology that's getting into the hands of hostile nations.

[John Chi]

Originally Posted by Edogawa1983

Tony Stark's Nightmare, someone else would have the Iron Man technology

Tony Stark didn't invent this, the U.S. Military did. Therefore it's their technology, their responsiblity, and have every right to use it to improve the American soldier's capabilities. I'm sorry to break it to you guys, but in the real world we only have nerdy Bill Gates, or hippie Richard Branson. Neither billionare is as cool or would kick ass like Tony Stark.

[D-Stroyer]

Originally Posted by John Chi

Wow, you kids read waaay too many comics. Wake up and smell the real world. There's already a lot of hi-tech U.S. military vehicles in existence already. When was the last time you heard of bank robbers or sandle wearing terrorists stealing and being able to pilot Stealth Bombers or M1 Abrams tanks? Or some hero billionare stealing Unmanned Aircrafts and using them to "save the world"? If anything, it's Russian technology that's getting into the hands of hostile nations.

stealing one of these suits in field is way easier than carrying away a tank or a bomber. welcome to the real world mister.
and terrorist groups don't need tanks and stealth bomber, but with one of these things (once they are ready for combat) they could penetrate facilities that are highly protected.

[John Chi]

Originally Posted by D-Stroyer

stealing one of these suits in field is way easier than carrying away a tank or a bomber. welcome to the real world mister.
and terrorist groups don't need tanks and stealth bomber, but with one of these things (once they are ready for combat) they could penetrate facilities that are highly protected.

Even IF they could steal one, what the hell makes you think they could maintain and FIX such a thing? Do you think they would have the proper power supplies or batteries? Again, this isn't as easy as stealing an Iron Man suit and using it for eeevuul. Is the military supposed to stop making better weapons and protection for soldiers just because it might get stolen?? The whole point of these kinds of technologies is to keep American soldiers ALIVE so that their stuff won't get stolen. That and winning a battle in mere seconds.

Another thing I don't get is, why is many here so jaded that they don't find this the least bit cool! It's a real life power armor! C'mon!