Robot Suit Gives Old People Super-Human Strength
Writing by Conner Flynn on Monday, 8 of October , 2007 at 3:04 am
Thanks to the Kanagawa Institute of Technology’s Air Pressure suit, in the very near future the elderly will have super strength. The suits would be used by old people to get around and lift things more easily. And it would be just as beneficial to their caregivers, who need to carry them around. The wearer can lift a person as heavy as 100 kilos as if they were carrying only half that weight.
Admittedly, the suit is clunky, and yes it likely takes a long time to put on. It also weighs 66 pounds. But if an elderly person does manage to actually put one on, what you have is a world where elderly people stomp around in robot exoskeletons, complaining about rock music and how “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore”. The next thing you know Grandma is throwing a car at you! A world where robots evolved from little old ladies? It could happen. And soon.
For the moment, the suit is only made to order and is destined for nursing homes and hospitals. But they do hope it will be in homes in the future.
You have been warned. Start treating your elders with respect NOW. They like revenge.
Category: Medical, Industrial
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Comment by Robert Robinson
Made Monday, 8 of October , 2007 at 2:31 pm
I’m 69 years old and get around pretty good. But do you make a unit that can help me hit a golf ball 350 yards?
Comment by Conner Flynn
Made Monday, 8 of October , 2007 at 9:34 pm
I think I can safely say that someone has that in the works. :)
Comment by bri
Made Tuesday, 9 of October , 2007 at 2:12 am
This will make older people weaker, just as cars have made us exercise less.
Comment by paul
Made Tuesday, 9 of October , 2007 at 10:32 am
Wheres the womans body? lol!
Comment by Phyreblade
Made Tuesday, 9 of October , 2007 at 2:46 pm
And just think. The 90lb weakling in whose face you used to kick sand at the beach may soon be able to kick a boulder at yours…
Comment by David Green
Made Tuesday, 9 of October , 2007 at 6:26 pm
Jesus - the military applications of this are massive!
Think, there could be armies of cyborg soldiers invading YOUR country.
Comment by B33L
Made Wednesday, 10 of October , 2007 at 1:28 pm
heh in like 15 years this will probably be used in some sort of crazy suit of armor for future warfare
Comment by Dan Tracy
Made Wednesday, 10 of October , 2007 at 2:01 pm
Way cool, when can I get one?
Comment by ralph
Made Saturday, 13 of October , 2007 at 4:30 pm
This is obviously an evil plot by the old people to gain super strength and take over the world.
Comment by uberfook
Made Sunday, 14 of October , 2007 at 4:24 pm
This will be great for people that dont know how to change the clock on their microwaves…
Comment by Steve
Made Thursday, 18 of October , 2007 at 11:09 am
For those of you saying that they’ll be making military exoskeletons next…. Several years ago, DARPA was funding research into exoskeletons for soldiers that would not only increase strength, but carry armor and provide enough shock absorption to allow soldiers to simply jump out of relatively low flying helicopters. I haven’t seen an update on that research recently…
Comment by Rock Kauser
Made Thursday, 18 of October , 2007 at 7:09 pm
I want one!
Comment by Eddy
Made Saturday, 20 of October , 2007 at 6:09 am
What happens when they fall over?
What happens when the machine fails?
What happens if it overloads?
Hmm… Maybe something that should be considered as we cant be losing family members more than we already do!
Comment by squeezeeface
Made Saturday, 20 of October , 2007 at 6:32 am
I hope that it can be programmed to make people dance ! imagine the fun !!!!
Comment by Jenny
Made Saturday, 20 of October , 2007 at 10:26 pm
… it looks like crap. Is this the best we can come up with???
Comment by Jimmy
Made Tuesday, 23 of October , 2007 at 2:33 am
It must be a very early spartan prototype suit!
you know, the Halo series.
Comment by Dr. Browne
Made Tuesday, 23 of October , 2007 at 8:35 pm
If it weighs over 60 pounds how will the elderly get it home? Can they invent a machine that makes people drive better?
Comment by Maox
Made Thursday, 1 of November , 2007 at 7:50 am
Bet you could take on an alien queen with that thing.
Comment by Anwari Doel Arnowo
Made Friday, 2 of November , 2007 at 9:15 pm
Skeptics are not needed, if they think it is useless they do not have to use it. BETTER BE QUIET AND THINK IT OVER.
Isay: IT WILL BE USEFUL, AND HELPFUL.
I AM 69 YEARS AND I DO NOT NEED IT NOW, PERHAPS LATER!!
Comment by Danny
Made Saturday, 3 of November , 2007 at 4:01 pm
I wonder if these suits can help paraplegics in any way. now THAT would be something…
Comment by puttputt
Made Monday, 5 of November , 2007 at 11:28 am
Japanese create for peaceful purposes but I bet somebody in America is thinking how to use this to kill people in the middle east. Some peace loving people.
Comment by Dan
Made Monday, 5 of November , 2007 at 1:03 pm
If an elderly person was giving me sass in that clunky thing, I’d just pull one of those exposed tubes and kick them in the gut. I still think the bio-suit would be a good idea in general. Maybe a few years will make it look less like a bad version of that robot suit from Aliens.
Comment by flah
Made Saturday, 24 of November , 2007 at 2:20 pm
I’m sure most of these machines will cost thousands even decades into the future.
I can see how, if perfected, it could be used by the military for tasks where heavy lifting is required, but unless they made one which enhanced speed I can’t see it being used for battle.
Comment by Maximus Prime
Made Tuesday, 15 of April , 2008 at 2:52 pm
Wow, I can’t see the military using a suit that cumbersome in combat. There’s probably a secret, similar suit being created by the United States government that we’re not hearing about.
I would spend my time worrying about that if I were really that concerned to comment about it, instead of worrying about a technology that may eventually allow my 72-year-old grandmother to move around without back pain. :D