11 Movie Gadgets You Might See in Real Life

by Dan Reilly on May 21, 2008 at 01:16 PM

What happens when science catches up to all that cool technology we've seen in movies? Are bizarre Hollywood creations simply fiction or a sign of things to come? Here, Switched presents a collection of famous gadgets from your favorite films and tells you when, or if, you'll see them in reality. The answers might surprise you.

Iron Man Suit

In the recent blockbuster 'Iron Man,' Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire defense industry inventor who builds a suit that gives him extreme strength, an array of weapons, and the ability to fly. Surprisingly, calling it standard comic book fare would a mistake.

According to an article from Popular Science, an inventor named Steve Jacobsen and his company, Sarcos, are working on an exoskeleton for the military that would allow soldiers to pick up hundreds of pounds without breaking a sweat. The XOS uses a series of sensors and hydraulics controlled by a computer that's designed to mimic and minimize the strain on the user's muscles.

In actuality, the suit resembles Sigourney Weaver's from 'Aliens' more than Iron Man's, and the drawbacks are that it can only run on batteries for 40 minutes at a time. But hey, it's one powerful step closer to real-life superheroes.

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Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, features

Comments

raven siimonyMay 26th 2008 3:35PM

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i think this is all crap and people are just trying to get our hopes up and then crush them! this world sucks and nobody helps anybody!!! whoever wants to reply can kiss this C YA!

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Rick BadmanMay 26th 2008 4:17PM

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The fighting suits in the book STARSHIP TROOPSERS were like what the article was talking about but not used in the movie of the same name. I have drawn fighting suits for years on my cable TV program and the ones that fly would have a small injection reactor to provide the needed power and a field displacement engine to allow the wearer to fly.

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DaveMay 28th 2008 9:02PM

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You forgot one of the gadgets we're REALLY close to getting..
Ed Dillengers computer terminal desk with its touch sensitive screen from the movie TRON..
Thankfully, a computer like HAL isn't much of a reality since they can't seem to make a computer that has an independant mind of its own.

-- Dave.

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JoeAug 6th 2008 11:44AM

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I think I;ll just stick with my tickleme plant. It MOVES when you TICKLE IT and it just needs sun and water. Sometimes in this high tech world you need a no tech Pet TickleMe Plant. I found it on line at www.TickleMePlant.com with a complete kit to grow your own!

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SamanthaAug 6th 2008 12:55PM

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Thanks for the TickleMe Plant post joe. i was looking for somthing to share my love of nature with my children...this will do it
how cool is that ..a plant that really moves when you tickle it!

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TommyAug 6th 2008 7:46PM

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Of all cool gadgets I didn't see those home phones where you can actually look at who you have a conversation with!!! Suprising since everyone in my area already owns one and I'm just from So. Cal. WWW..5LINX.NET/VIP carries these voip phones and this is what should have made the list! I do travel alot and don't get to see my family as much as I wish but now I'm able to simply plug this phone in and get to SEE my wife and kids instead of picturing my family with audio. These phones are amazing!! It brings nothing but happiness to be able to see my family on a live feed.

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