Exoskeletons are beyond cool – they are a way for human beings to push the boundaries of our physical abilities with the assistance of stronger materials and forces than our bodies have, such as metal over bone, and hydraulics over muscle.
One man who goes by the name of James Hobson takes a huge interest in exoskeletons – so much so that he has actually chosen to quit his full-time job to work on perfecting a home-made exoskeleton.
In an early prototype demonstrating the power of the upper-half of his exoskeleton, Hobson appeared on television to lift 124 pounds with ease, but further work on the exoskeleton and near completion of the bottom-half has improved its strength and endurance, giving Hobson a strength boost enough to lift up the rear end of a Mini Cooper car.
This homemade exoskeleton can pick up the rear end of a car..
Image Credit: Hackaday/YouTube
The reason the bottom-half was necessary was because although the upper-half allowed Hobson to lift incredible amounts of weight, his human legs still had to bear the weight. With the bottom-half added to the mix, Hobson now has something to help him deal with the weight in his legs.
Interestingly, the exoskeleton itself takes all of the weight off of Hobson’s efforts to lift. Despite lifting up the rear-end of the car, Hobson notes that he felt no pressure in his legs whatsoever and that the suit took the full brunt of the lifting job.
Hobson’s exoskeleton suit is battery-powered and uses ratcheting locking joints to ensure safety and strength. You can watch the suit lift the Mini Cooper vehicle in the YouTube video below:
Hobson believes that exoskeletons are the way of the future in that they’ll some day help human beings revolutionize their bodily abilities, just as the bicycle and car have revolutionized our ability to transport ourselves faster than we could by foot. With the help of machines, we can be more powerful and capable.
Source: Hackaday
