A mech suit! A real working mech suit for $4200!!

[eragon100]

Finally!

This mech suit multiplies your physical strength by ten!

http://www.dailytech.com/HAL+Mech+Su...ticle14822.htm

http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/index.html

COOL!!

Imagine what happens if you give an enemy soldier a punch with this, he'll land ten meters away! Far out!

Unfortunately, it's only available for Japanese consumers right now, but they are working on making it available in Europe, to.

BTW, the company says they developed it for helping people with a handicap, rescue missions, and heavy labor... how boring, I want "gundam", not "patlabor". (in the latter, the mechs were also used for civilian work instead of them being used by teenagers to fight awesome battles.)

Luckily, the military is very interested

[pwnst*r]

i don't get the heavy labor part. it's not like you'd be able to lift 10x what you normally would. the wrists aren't even supported.

**SNAP**

[lloyd_b]

Don't get too excited - this appears to be designed more for helping the handicapped than for creating super-soldiers...

Here's a Youtube link, with a little better info.

As noted in the video, the 10x amplification would only be used for a very weak person - the guy talks about a 2x factor for a normal person (and if he's using that relatively small guy from the video as his definition of "normal", then for a large man, the suit would probably be useless).

Lloyd B.

[Mehall]

Small guys can lift more in ratio to their own weight, I think you'll find

[Paqman]

i don't get the heavy labor part. it's not like you'd be able to lift 10x what you normally would. the wrists aren't even supported.

**SNAP**

I suspect someone capable of designing and building this machine may just be capable of spotting and rectifying that problem.

[pwnst*r]

that wasn't the point. their claims are overblown.

[eragon100]

I suspect someone capable of designing and building this machine may just be capable of spotting and rectifying that problem.

It would be cool if you could punch someone like this (wait 'till the end for the best):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IUyq...eature=related

[Paqman]

that wasn't the point. their claims are overblown.

"HAL" is expected to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field, ADL support for disabled people, heavy labour support at factories, and rescue support at disaster sites, as well as in the entertainment field.

As an engineer and a pragmatist that sounds pretty realistic to me. It's the tech media that are frothing. There's no mention of military interest on the Cyberdyne site. As an ex-serviceman myself I really can't see this machine having a lot of applications in actual combat, you'd likely see military versions doing similar things to what civilian ones would (ie: humping and dumping, or rehabilitating the injured)

[Mehall]

Or running around with Vulcan Cannons like Raven in the original metal gear Solid

[chris200x9]

I want one NOW!