A Jaeger Future Is Close At Hand (Avicii, Nedroid, Rubert da Koopa) [Daily Bloggity Entry #20]

Date: 13 March 2014
Time: 1:38 PM ET
Mood: Content

Looks like it's time to fight some Kaiju. Skeletonics, a start up company stationed in Japan, has just unveiled a new exoskeleton that humans can walk into and operate. Composed of aluminum and mechanical springs, it allows the person a "robotic suit" in which they can move around in. The two inventors of the suit have stated that this is only for entertainment and recreational use, such as shadowboxing, but it does beg the question: if combined with computer tech, hydrolics, etc...could it be used as a deadly force?

Daily Video - "Hey Brother" by Avicii
So I take it back, maybe we won't be fighting thousand foot monsters. However, a future in which mecha suits are available is not too far away. Companies such as DARPA and General Electrics have already started financing research into military powered exoskeletons which can be used for combat. In mid-2013, a team at Harvard University unveiled a soft pneumatic exoskeleton which pumps oxygen into the soldier to allow the user to carry more weight without feeling fatigue. Although quite bulky in appearance, they are currently working on a slimmer version that can be concealed under clothing. And if that does come to fruition and is available to the general populus, think of the more practical uses for the average person: injury prevention, fire rescues, and reverse paralysis are only some of the wonders that may result from an invention like this.

Daily Comic - "For The Love Of The Dare" by Anthony Clark of Nedroid

However, in achieving these feats, numerous variables and hurdles need to be overcome, the biggest being if the exoskeleton can acutely respond to the user in a tangible and fast fashion. As bionics expert Thomas Sugar of the University of Arizona pointed out, ""If you look at some of the devices out there, they're actually quite hard to walk in...you've got to make sure they really enhance people's abilities." Thus, it would only end up becoming a hindrance of your movement is slower than without the exoskeleton. Another issue that seems to be prominent is finding the right energy source to fuel themotorized joints that operate the suits. Without an effective battery, the suit itself won't operate, and the batteries used now either don't work as wishfully effective or they run out of juice too quickly.

Daily Video - "Rubert da Koopa" by animator Ricepirate
We might still be a few years away from being able to become the next Iron Man, but the future is bright for bionics. While there are kinks that still need to overcome, the benefits outweigt the time needed as it will give elders a spring back in their step and and give people who are paralyzed the ability to move again. Do you think that we should continue pursuing bionics, even if it could be used as a weapon? What would you with your enhanced abilities if you were given a bionic exoskeleton? Comment below as I would love to hear what you have to say about the topic!

‡ As always, the "Daily Bloggity" is self written by myself and includes just some of my opinions on different mediums. If you have a subject that you might want me to touch on, feel free to PM me or comment below! I would love to hear some of your ideas! Tune in tomorrow at 5PM Eastern Time for the next edition of the "Daily Bloggity!" Cheers! ‡

- elheroeoscuro

We definitely should. Fear of something that 'might' lead to fatalities would've prevented QUITE a bit of stuff we use today. We can't progress if we don't always push forward.

And idk about powers. But energy source hmm interesting. Right now causing controlled nuclear fusion reactions on a small scale isn't possible or I'd have suggested that lmao. But impractical jokes apart, that really is a problem...

Also, as for injury prevention and helpfullness to general public - most of these things would take yeaaaaaars before they become available and viable to normal people even after they've been developed. I doubt the developmental costs are low haha. Every new piece of technology takes a few years after it is actually complete to be available to normal people generallyy so I doubt we're becoming ironmen soon lol