Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
A small group of students in Japan are working on a power-suit that looks like something from Transformers or something nearing Aliens‘ Power Loader territory. According to dannychoo.com, the group, which goes by the name Skeletonics, is working on “a powered suit that would extend the movement of a human’s arms (and) legs without the aid of any motors.”
A hybrid of the words “skeleton” and “mechanics,” Skeletonics took 6 months to complete as a basic working unit. Similar-looking to the kind of robotic power suits the US military and other high-tech companies have been developing to use in real-world situations, Skeletonics is actually unlike other robotic suits since it is completely powered by human motion. It’s constructed from aluminum sheets and pipes, so clearly it’s lightweight, but not something you are going to want to spend hours moving around in unless you are very fit.
The project is still under development, and doesn’t have any exterior armor installed yet. So, like the name, it is more like a skeleton of a larger project to come.
Unfortunately, the Skeletonics website is written in Japanese, and Google Translate is of little help trying to find out more specific details. However, there is a nearly 7-minute-long video that you can ogle over (and we suggest you do) that features Skeletonics running after defenseless people, playing baseball, hitting people with leeks, stealing sodas, dancing, and being a bouncer.
The video takes you from basic sketches, to building the skeleton. Around the 3:12 mark is when the video switches to some pretty awesome guitar music and shows Skeletonics in action. The captions are in Japanese, of course, so, unless you can read Japanese, use your imagination!
I think we should be more concerned about whether or not that skeleton is praising the sun. There's a fine line between jolly cooperation and religious fanaticism
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
Exoskeletons are the easy part of building a giant mecha. It's the power source that's the problem.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
Grey Templar wrote: Exoskeletons are the easy part of building a giant mecha. It's the power source that's the problem.
Yeah, the only part of that rig that looks important are the hands and the controls for the hands. They might be capable of passable (but rough) manipulation.
But mostly it looks like it's made of plastic tubes and aluminum.
Grey Templar wrote: Exoskeletons are the easy part of building a giant mecha. It's the power source that's the problem.
Yeah, the only part of that rig that looks important are the hands and the controls for the hands. They might be capable of passable (but rough) manipulation.
But mostly it looks like it's made of plastic tubes and aluminum.
It basically is, but what's impressive about it is the simplicity of design and range of motion. Combined with other developments it's a good proof of concept of a practical exoskeleton design when one of the big hurdles for exoskeletons is matching the range of normal human motion. Combine it with artificial muscle (in place of traditional bulky and heavy hydraulics) and replace the materials with carbon fibers, and you can make it strong without sending its weight through the roof (one of the other hurdles of course being weight limitations in many situations where an exoskeleton would be really useful like search and rescue).
Mr Nobody wrote:There`s also Method-1 making a bit of progress. It's closer to a mech than a powered exoskeleton, but still interesting.
What a time to be alive
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/10/07 19:51:04
This isn't a power armor project, it's basically trying to increase a human's effective size. There's no engine or motor and no electronics, it's basically a mechanical means to be bigger.
This isn't a power armor project, it's basically trying to increase a human's effective size. There's no engine or motor and no electronics, it's basically a mechanical means to be bigger.
No, but power armor is the next step beyond exoskeletons. Power Armor is an exoskeleton with armor strapped to it.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
Cream Tea wrote: "Leonardo da Vinci" and "meh" should never appear that close together. Leonardo is one of the least "meh" people to ever walk the Earth.
Now if the "meh" was directed at LDV in my sentence, then you'd have a point I suppose. But, as it was used to emphasize the fact that LDV was centuries ahead of this current technology being shown off, it actually serves to highlight his genius. I'm guessing something was lost in translation.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/10/08 07:55:30
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
LDV's drawings are pretty cool. And it also serves to highlight that the issue with all those things isn't the mechanics, it's the power source. da Vinchi could design a helecoptor's roster system, but he lacked the ability to create an engine to power it.
We have the ability to build mech suits and power armor, but lack any way for them to carry a power source with them.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
Grey Templar wrote: Exoskeletons are the easy part of building a giant mecha. It's the power source that's the problem.
Power source is doable, within reason: 150 Lithium batteries and electric motors and servos and we're go. No, the HARD part is the Gundanium Alloy, since we have no idea what the feth that is.
Fate is in heaven, armor is on the chest, accomplishment is in the feet. - Nagao Kagetora
Power source is doable, within reason: 150 Lithium batteries and electric motors and servos and we're go. No, the HARD part is the Gundanium Alloy, since we have no idea what the feth that is.
It's made of pure unobtanium, which we'd have if not for those damn blue natives on that moon!
You know if anything like this existed and was issued out during my time in the Army I wouldnt have collapsed vertebrae and walk around at 38 like an 80 year old with osteo. I sense millions of dollars in military contracts happening soon.
10k CSM
1.5k Thousand Sons
2k Death Guard
3k Tau
3k Daemons(Tzeentch and Nurgle)
This isn't a power armor project, it's basically trying to increase a human's effective size. There's no engine or motor and no electronics, it's basically a mechanical means to be bigger.
No, but power armor is the next step beyond exoskeletons. Power Armor is an exoskeleton with armor strapped to it.
I realise I wasn't very clear at all what I meant, derp. What I meant is that there are other projects that have been going on which are actually working on powered armor as opposed to this one. There's a video around of one of them where the guy is lifting huge amounts of weight with almost no effort. 'Power legs' to help soldiers carry large amounts of equipment over long distances is something specific that is being worked on as I recall.
Craftworld Sciatháin 4180 pts 
