Awesome Exoskeleton

Dr. Gustavo Gosling shows off a simple yet effective device that lets its wearer sit down on demand. The exoskeleton structure attaches to its user’s waist and feet and transforms instantly into a chair. Noonee makes a similar device called the Chairless Chair, and we also found a number of cheap knock-offs on Amazon.

Festool’s ExoActive EXO 18 is a battery-powered exoskeleton that assists its wearer’s shoulders and arms. It can provide up to 50N (5kg) of support per arm. That makes heavy power tools feel light as a feather and can ease the load on arms and shoulders by up to 30%. Its support can be adjusted or paused at any time using its built-in controller.

A collaboration between outdoorwear specialist Arc’teryx and startup Skip, the MO/GO (short for mountain goat) is a pair of pants with detachable exoskeletons that assist in walking and climbing. Skip claims that its carbon fiber supports and adjustable electric motors can boost your climbing ability by up to 40% and make you feel up to 30 lb. lighter.

Handling pesticides can be quite dangerous. To help protect himself, inventor Handy Geng decided to fabricate a mech suit he can wear while spraying for insects. The winged metal armor has built-in spray tips and keeps overspray off his skin, while a mask in the helmet filters out chemical vapors. (Turn captions on.)

Now that we’ve got your attention, we’re here to reveal that the hydraulic exosuit that Handy Geng created is not for self-pleasure but for tenderizing beef. It’s still a ridiculous idea, and just the kind of thing we’d expect from the man who gave us the corn on the cob machine. It can also provide massages and chop veggies.

This amazing exoskeleton suit from Skeletonics straps around a human pilot and amplifies their movements without using any motors or electrical components. While it’s not capable of lifting heavy objects like some exosuits, seeing the 9-foot-tall kinetically-powered mech mirror its operator’s movements is pretty amazing.

Sapetti’s Chairless Chair is a wearable leg support that locks when you assume a sitting position, and unlocks when you stand up. It’s meant for factory workers who stand or crouch for extended periods, but a casual version for queues and concerts would be nice.