Iron Man Suit Closer To Reality With Combat Exoskeleton 2 (video)
The XOS 2, successor to the first generation combat Exoskeleton, moves faster, packs lighter, can sustain more damage and consumes a lot less energy than its predecessor.
Dr. Fraser M Smith, Vice President of Raytheon, the company behind the Exoskeleton, says that the XOS 2 is all about lowering power consumption and using energy more efficiently.
A recent public demo had Iron Man 2 actor Clark Gregg wearing the suit and trying out its abilities. The footage sees him and a second, anonymous XOS 2 wearer, punching through wooden boards, lifting 200 pound weights repeatedly, and even punching a boxing bag.
It all looks effortless and quite graceful. Gregg is able to speak and gesture without any signs of being inhibited by the suit. Actions like kicking a soccer ball and going up stairs are also said to be easy to perform, although not demoed.
The XOS 2 will be deployed within 5 years, with a tethered version seeing action initially, followed by a self powered version. The action itself will be mostly supply oriented, the loading and unloading of goods and ammunition, keeping the back health of soldiers safe with high pressure hydraulics.
