Gizmos & Gadgets: Wearable Robot Ironman From Korean Car Maker

May 14, 2016 – Hyundai Motor Group isn’t just about building quality, reasonably priced automobiles. Inspired by Marvel Comic’s Tony Stark, and by an interest in robotics, the company unveiled this week its latest foray into wearable exoskeletons. Ironman is nothing more than a human encased inside a wearable robot. It makes for great fantasy.

What Hyundai has revealed is a bit more achievable in the near future, a device worn to enhance strength.

Where would such a robotic enhancement be used?

Two markets come to mind:

1. Emergency response where enhanced endurance and lifting ability would prove of value.
2. Providing those with profound disability such as paraplegics with mobility.

A little ungainly and still attached to a tether, the Hyundai Wearable Robot can be seen in the picture below.

It looks a little more like an Ironman costume on steroids when pictured with a human operator as seen below. Understand that even this prototype gives it operator powers beyond those of mortal men.

This posting, sounding more like a comic book than a technology blog, remains for real. The operator when harnessed to the device can manipulate its robotic arms to grip and lift items. The legs are designed to enhance the operator’s ability to walk or climb stairs.

What Hyundai is trying to build is nothing new. In 2012 I posted what was a bit of history about exoskeletons beginning with the original armor worn by the knights of medieval jousts, to General Electric’s work on Hardman in the mid-1960s, to finally the Ekso, a lower-torso exoskeleton to enable the wheelchair-bound to walk.

No one yet has designed something as slick as Ironman, but art appears to be inspiring many to try. I wonder if any of the other Marvel Comics super heroes are also inspiring companies to emulate the powers these characters have through technological innovation? We know that Spiderman’s ability to climb walls has shown up with Geckoman. But what about Captain America’s shield? And how about The Hulk, Wonder Woman, or The Flash? Will we see science and technology soon imitate these artful creations through new inventions? I’ll keep my eye out and let you know.