I refer to the mechanisms depicted in such movies as
Robo-Cop, the combat chassis in
Edge of Tomorrow, the
"loaders" used in Aliens and the similar, though much larger and weaponized version, in Avatar.
Prototypes already exist. Is there some fundamental reason that these things have not been operationalized? It seems like advances in robotics, materials science, prosthetic science and other technologies has advanced sufficiently for such exoskeletons to become a reality.
The only substantial barrier I see is the power source. The energy needed by such devices would be enormous to have a practical run time. The energy density of gasoline (which requires a very heavy engine) is about 44x that of the most efficient Li-ion battery and hydrogen is about 3.2x that of gasoline. Would a hydrogen/oxygen generator of some kind be sufficient? Uranium, as in a nuclear fission facility, has a specific energy density at least 100,000x that of hydrogen, but even the smallest nuclear generators seem like they'd be prohibitively large and heavy.
What energy density would be needed for such devices to become possible? What other advances would be required? Or is it just the will or the vision that we lack?
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
