Soldier of the future (robotic exoskeleton)

[Travis Hoffman]

Cue Terminator Theme....

This exoskeleton technology and technology like that developed as a result of DARPA challenges isn't so much as impressive and inspiring as it is scary when thinking of what chaos it could ultimately create if placed in the hands of people with more "shoot first - ask questions later" tendencies. You know......like.....the military.

From the DARPA website:

"The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and missions."

They state it themselves - DARPA's primary goal is NOT to improve civilian life. The benefits these technologies bring to the civilian population are merely byproducts of the MILITARY applications which remain the core focus of their efforts.

Bigger, stronger, faster soldiers with robotic exoskeletons. Autonomous robotic battlefield vehicles. Devices which make war "easier" to wage because you minimize or remove the risk of loss of human life.....at least for the "good" guys, anyway.

I don't know about you, but I'm kinda GLAD the threat of loss of life is inherent to war; otherwise, with a bunch of disposable machines at the front lines, what is keeping military "geniuses" from treating war like one big giant video game? Think about it - it's a truly scary proposition.

When the science fiction technology of a movie whose plot is centered around a computer-controlled armageddon set in motion by careless military officials starts to become REALITY, you better start paying attention, folks. Don't praise this technology blindly. Scrutinize it - demand accountability and responsibility in the application of these technologies for noble gains.

Rant over.

So....what kind of neat civilian applications could you see for this?



If we're talking cool, useful, non-lethal (except to alien queens ) science fiction becoming reality - this reminds me of the walking power loader they used in the movie "Aliens". Could they scale the technology up one day to handle much heavier loads?