by anigbrowl on 8/4/14, 11:25 PM
"At the time, most of the yards we toured were significantly more advanced in robotic welding than the US yards performing naval ship construction, and had been for a long time," Gene Mitchell, the retired US Navy officer who led the research told New Scientist.That's depressing. I don't know why many US industrial firms seem so slow to do their own training, but instead complain about a shortage of skilled workers. There's not much point in spending a lot of money training in some highly specialized area like heavy robotics if you don't know where the demand is.
by vonklaus on 8/5/14, 1:35 AM
I think this is an amazing and inevitable outcome. However, sort of disappointed by the 60 kilo max. I feel like these suits need to be an ordwr of magnitude better than humans to be viable. There are certainly people who can lift 125lb objects. I understand that fatigue and uniformity factor in, but it will be great to see 300lb+ suits
by nwh on 8/5/14, 5:58 AM
Hate to see what happens when a bug causes the wrong motors to fire and the thing breaks all of your bones. Be awesome to use one though all the same.
by beambot on 8/5/14, 2:10 AM
Yeah... they had those in 1958:
Iron Man: Ralph Mosher, an engineer working for General Electric in the 1950s, developed a robotic exoskeleton called Hardiman. The mechanical suit, consisting of powered arms and legs, could give him superhuman strength. Mosher subsequently made a simpler version that permitted him to sit in his chair and pick up refrigerators.
http://www.hizook.com/blog/2010/09/07/telepresence-robots-ne...
by wooptoo on 8/5/14, 9:36 AM
> it can lift objects with a mass of up to 30 kilograms.
Shouldn't factory workers be able to do that anyway? Or even 60kg.
by thret on 8/4/14, 11:48 PM
Let's be honest, if these things become commonplace in shipyards - we are all going to want one.
by dbg31415 on 8/5/14, 2:11 PM
Soon we will be able to fight off the Aliens.
by ende on 8/5/14, 12:17 AM
Why is this technology being wasted on shipyards when I could be using it to reenact scenes from Aliens and play rock em sock em cyborg in my backyard?