Real-Life Iron Man: A Robotic Suit That Magnifies Human Strength 10-Fold

For many years, researchers have been expecting something like this to be available for the ordinary people. A real-life Iron Man or an exoskeleton robotic suit may help workers lift heavy loads and patients move damaged and prosthetic limbs.

For many years, the prospect of slipping into a robotic suit to enhance the strength of the body, keep it active while recovering from an injury or even serve as a prosthetic limb has been just a dream. Even now when one gives an explanation of this robot, many think of clunky spare robot parts put together. However, Japan's CYBERDYNE, Inc. is hoping to change this view with a sort of minor improvement in the system. Their new design is a sleek, white exoskeleton that can do the work of the body for you - ie. if you have an injured limb, it will add strength and support for it and help in doing work. The company is in fact so satisfied and confident with their new design that they started off by making a new lab that is expected to produce up to 500 robotic power suits (think Star Wars storm trooper, of course without a helmet). This technology will be produced annually starting October. CYBERDYNE is a company that was launched to commercialize the cybernetic work of a group of researchers headed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor of system and information engineering at University of Tsukuba. The new "super-human" robot is being called the Robot Suit Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) exoskeleton, which company created for the sole reason of helping train doctors and physical therapists, assisting disabled people, allowing people to lift heavy loads, as well as aiding in emergency rescues. A prototype of the exoskeleton suit is designed for those small in stature, standing five feet, three inches (1.6 meters) tall. The suit weighs approximately 50.7 pounds (23 kilograms) and is powered by a 100-volt AC battery, which lasts up to five hours (depending on how much energy the suit exerts). The company designed this exoskeletal suit particularly to enhance the wearer's physical capabilities ten-fold. The exoskeleton has a sensor attached to the wearer's skin, which detects brain signals sent to muscles to get them to move. The computer in the exoskeleton analyzes these signals to determine how it must move and with how much force to assists the wearer. The company's website also claims that the robot can move autonomously (this is based on the data that is being stored in the computer), which is the key when used by people suffering from spinal cord injuries or physical disabilities resulting from strokes or other diseases. The HAL robot is only available in Japan for now, but the company says that eventually it will offer it to European Union as well. The company will rent the suits (there is no option to buy them yet) for approximately $1,300 per month (this includes maintenance and upgrades). However, rental fees will vary: health care facilities and other business will pay three times as much as individuals. Their site does not explain why this is the case. This all might seem like great news, but there are a lot of other upgrades that are needed on the HAL robot before it becomes a part of an everyday life. According to Hugh Herr, principal investigator for M.I.T.'s Biomechatronics Group, which is developing a light, low-power exoskeleton that straps to a person's waist, legs and feet, exoskeletons work in parallel with human muscles: they're an artificial system that help the body overcome inertia and gravity.

"One might have knee and ankle problems, others might have elbow problems," Herr says. "How in the world do you build a wearable robot that accommodates a lot of people?"

There are also concerns that the exoskeleton will be doing all of the work and preventing rehabilitation of the broken or severed limbs.

"If the orthotic does everything," Herr says, "the muscle degrades, so you want the orthotic to do just the right amount of work."

Another problem with the HAL robot is that it needs to recharge. However, hopefully in the future, this will not be a problem. Technology such as this might seem off for some people, but think of the potential it has. If used properly and under professionals' supervision, one would be able to get better faster than before - people with spinal cord injuries will be able to walk again, those with broken limbs will not have to suffer by walking with crutches. This is one hell of an invention and if all of the disadvantages are combated, it will be one hell of a turn for the better in the health care system.