Awesome. Watching the lateral movement while walking the operator may need motion sickness medicine. Wonder what happens to the operator's position if it leans forward to pick something up from the ground. Does it squat vertically or bend forward?
Mihai Pruna
Here's an idea: tether drones on short cables to the robot's torso and use those to stabilize it as it moves, also, to help turn it.. The tethers could also provide power to the drones. The range of motion of the robot's arms could be limited in real time to avoid touching the cables, or the drones could be parked while the robot is stationary and doing work.
habakak
Totally useless at this point. It can barely walk. The act of moving it's arms throws it off balance. The hands and fingers does not seem to be functional. Powering it will require it to be tethered for a long time still - batteries are just too heavy. If it requires a human operator to be within the suit, how would this help at the Fukushima site? I assume it can be remotely controlled. How much weight is it supposed to be able to lift or move? All this being said, it is an incredible feat of engineering and technology. Obviously these are early days for robots and machines like these. We need breakthroughs in energy storage to really make these things feasible. And artificial muscles that contract when current is applied instead of all these heavy motors, pulleys and belts. For industrial uses maybe. But as far as exoskeletons goes (I know this is NOT one or supposed to be one) it will need to be much lighter weight and mimic natural muscles more.
DanRiley
It's an exoskeleton, yes, but not a 'robot'. Back in the 60's this concept was called a 'man-amplifier'. DreadUK
good one!
guzmanchinky
Still not sure you'd want to put a human anywhere near radiation, a remote controlled robot can do this too, can't it?
Kpar
How about giving some credit to the original thinker who invented the idea? Robert Anson Heinlein, and his Mobile Infantry suit in the novel "Starship Trooper" (the book was FAR superior to the awful movie!).
LandRoverRock
Wasn't there something similar in one of the Alien movies or another Sci/FI underwater themed movie?