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The past century has brought about advancements in the technological field that have revolutionized the world as a whole. These countless inventions have shifted society's view on the limits of technology. Scientists and engineers have begun exploiting this potential through various developments and they currently find themselves on the brink of a technical upheaval. Several of these innovations became popular thanks to the entertainment and film industry. Amongst these, we have the infamous Iron Man suit created by (‘genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist,’) Tony Stark from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The authentic variant of this fictitious suit is a ‘robotic exoskeleton’ that has been developed for the US Marines. The designed purpose of this life-sized gadget would be to “[support] logistical operations like loading and unloading pallets of gear and ammunition in the field.” (Hollings). There is a countless number of Iron Man fans on a global scale so to have this suit become a reality would completely shift the media’s presentation of scientific inventions.
There have already been various mockups of what this future suit could look like, what its advantages could be, and its impact on military efficiency. If it becomes a reality it truly would be a transformative breakthrough. More than a decade ago “Trek Aerospace, [developed] the Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle, an exoskeleton frame with a jetpack built-in, which could be capable of flying up to 70 miles per hour (112.6 kilometers per hour) and hovering motionlessly thousands of feet above the ground, as well [source: Hanlon].” (Bonser & Kiger). This was accomplished as of twelve years ago and because technology has inevitably advanced we are not limited by it. Several countries are creating their own versions of an exoskeleton for combatant purposes. This is due to the fact that they have come to the realization that an element similar to this one could be the next impactful military invention. What people fail to comprehend is that this is no longer the future, it's the present. Technology is taking the world by storm and people have to be equipped to deal with both the advantages and disadvantages that it will bring society.
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Sources & References
A more informative take on this subject and was written approximately a decade ago. It really focuses on the mechanics of an exoskeleton and the specific companies that were planning on developing it.
Have you been living under a rock and not seen any Avengers movies? This short clip will provide you with some context for the Tony Stark/Iron Man references found within this piece.
This is a sneak peek of where a military-developed exoskeleton suit was three years ago. An inside look at what the US military will consider being “super soldiers.”
The Taiwanese interpretation of exoskeleton suits will strive to make their soldiers stronger. These are slightly more political and controversial reasons for their inventions yet gives you an intriguing look at what other countries are doing with this idea.
An educational and engaging piece that emphasizes the involvement of a company known as Trek Aerospace, and their robotic exoskeleton. Really goes into depth on what the exoskeleton could accomplish if put to use with the military and elaborates on some of its intended purposes.
Images from spectrum.ieee.org and firstpost.com
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