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Exoskeletons Available for Pre-Order

by Terrence O'Brien on May 30, 2008 at 05:02 PM


Wired had you covered if you were wondering how to become a Batman-esque superhero with a belt full of fancy gadgets. But what if you wanted to take on a more fanciful and imposing set of powers like those of the sleek metal-suited Iron Man? Well, Berkeley Bionics has started taking orders for prototypes of their Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) exoskeletons.

Berkeley Bionics has spent the last several years developing and working to perfect their exoskeletons, which augment both a person's lifting strength and endurance. With the HULC device, a person can carry up to 200 pounds without seriously impeding their mobility while using up to 15 percent less oxygen to bear the weight, increasing the length of time a person would be able to haul such a load.

The military is clearly the intended target of the demonstration video, but the technology also has value to the medical community -- the exoskeleton may one day help those with mobility disorders escape the confines of a wheelchair. [Source: Berkley Bionics, Via: New Scientist]

Tags: berkeley bionics, BerkeleyBionics, bionic, breaking news, BreakingNews, exoskeleton, medicine, military, science

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