This will be one thread dedicated to cool stuff like robots, or "futuristic" technology. For anything that falls under that category, go ahead and post it here.

And if you don't, then I'll just have Jeff merge it into this thread anyway.

Robotic suit could usher in super soldier era
May 15 01:44 PM US/Eastern
By MARK JEWELL
AP Business Writer

Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly, and plays tennis and skis when time allows. But the 5-foot-11, 180-pound software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds—that is, until he steps into an "exoskeleton" of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times.

With the outfit's claw-like metal hand extensions, he gripped a weight set's bar at a recent demonstration and knocked off hundreds of repetitions. Once, he did 500.

"Everyone gets bored much more quickly than I get tired," Jameson said.



More here:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Honda robot conducts Detroit Symphony to warm response
By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer Wed May 14, 7:51 AM ET

DETROIT - The lights dimmed, the sold-out hall grew hushed and out walked the conductor — shiny, white and 4 feet, 3 inches tall.

ASIMO, a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge Tuesday evening: Conducting the Detroit Symphony in a performance of "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha."

"Hello, everyone," ASIMO said to the audience in a childlike voice, then waved to the orchestra.

As it conducted, it perfectly mimicked the actions of a conductor, nodding its head at various sections and gesturing with one or both hands. ASIMO took a final bow to enthusiastic shouts from the audience.

"It is absolutely thrilling to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This is a magnificent concert hall," ASIMO said.



More here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_ ... _writethru

Should I merge all Iron Man discussion here?

Not yet...

Holy God, the robotic suit article is the coolest thing I've ever read. I can't wait for the age of the superhero to come...

"It takes no special training, beyond learning to relax and trust the robot,"

Interesting.

THAT is something else!

Old military guy here, not sure why they'd want this on the battlefield. In a factory or warehouse, sure, but strong guys don't do much better than average guys in a battle. "You brought a fist to a gunfight."

I missed this thread, Judge! Don't ban me!

Fusion Man
Fusion Man
Does whatever a...

Welll.....

Swiss 'Fusion Man' Flies Over the Alps With Jet-Propelled Wings
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Years ago, aviation enthusiast and inventor Yves Rossy dreamed of soaring through the sky like a bird.

In 2006 that dream took flight.

Known as Switzerland’s "Fusion Man," Rossy in November 2006 became the first man in the world to fly with wings and four jet engines strapped to his body; on Wednesday he displayed that talent to the world.



Rest here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,355609,00.html

No problem Marcus. You're one of The Favored here at IMWAN.

Agreed. And it seems in the article that they are looking to this for support more than actual combat at this point.

"Jack Obusek, a former colonel now with the Army's Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in the Boston suburb of Natick, foresees robot-suited soldiers unloading heavy ammunition boxes from helicopters, lugging hundreds of pounds of gear over rough terrain or even relying on the suit's strength-enhancing capabilities to make repairs to tanks that break down in inconvenient locations."

This isn't new. Teddy Roosevelts rough riders had a robot called "Boilerplate" helping them out 100 years ago.
http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/s ... index.html

http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/s ... bp.rr.html

Call me when they can replace my knees and shoulder.

Retired police robot finds new work
Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, May 16, 2008

The Andros robot, used by the city police tactical team to defuse bombs until it was retired a decade ago, has been refurbished and is being put back to work on light duty.

It spent the past eight months being repaired at the University of Calgary Schulich School's mechanical engineering department and was returned to the police interpretive centre on Thursday, to be used in an interactive display for children.

Alex Ramirez-Serrano, associate professor of mechanical engineering, oversaw four students -- three from mechanical engineering and one from computer engineering -- who completed the project.

"The upgrade was not that significant," said Ramirez-Serrano. "The interpretive centre wanted to keep it as original as possible for historical reasons."

Andros can travel rough terrain, climb stairs and cross ditches. It is equipped with two cameras for remote viewing and an on-board manipulator for hazardous tasks, such as diffusing bombs.

"It was inoperable when it came to us," said Aaron Beaulieu, one of the electrical engineering students who worked on the project.

"We built a new power supply for it, and built a new interface, so it is easier for people to control. It's going into a demonstration environment."

The robot, which can be used on either treads or wheels, is a boxy shape about one-metre-high by just over a metre wide and just under a metre deep.

The new interactive display is scheduled to open in June or July, said Ramirez-Serrano.

dslade@theherald.canwest.com


© The Calgary Herald 2008

Wouldn't a robot like that have been better used defusing bombs rather than spreading them out?