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The ‘Real’ Iron Man
By Scott Harrup | July 11, 2008
Marvel Comics character Iron Man is enjoying renewed popularity, thanks to this summer’s blockbuster hit from Marvel and Paramount Pictures. Popular Science magazine recently took note of real-life research that mimics at least some aspects of the comic book legend.
The article examines an ongoing project of inventor Steve Jacobsen and the engineers at Sarcos, a robotics company he started in 1983. Defense contractor Raytheon recently purchased Sarcos, so the project’s applications have a strong military flavor.
Imagine a soldier of the future strapped into a metal exoskeleton that gives him or her superhuman strength and endurance. The current prototype already allows a test subject to lift a 200-pound barbell with almost no effort.
I’m all for technology that makes life safer for our military, but I’m more excited about the invention’s potential in health care. Think how Jacobsen’s brainchild, or the similar concepts of several competitors, could be adapted. People with limited mobility, perhaps even the paralyzed, might someday walk with the assistance of a powered exoskeleton.
Our family would be ecstatic to watch our son Connor leave his wheelchair and amble around the house, even if that walk were coordinated through a computer and an array of gears.
Topics: News |
