Hyundai is making strides for mobility in a new way with an idea straight out of a comic book. This powered exoskeleton revealed on the automaker’s blog (in Korean) can support the weight of the human inside plus a 60 kg (132 lb) additional payload, making it suitable for construction or military work.
Hyundai has looked into using exoskeletons for mobility purposes before. The H-LEX, or Hyundai Lifecaring ExoSkeleton, debuted last year, was an exoskeleton designed for the elderly or for disabled people who needed help walking.
The new suit has a much more industrial target audience than H-LEX’s relatively small, 25-pound frame. The driver sits inside, and uses controls on the robotic ‘hands.’
It’s also equipped with grippers that utilize the lifting power of the robot but don’t actually involve human hands
Power appears to come from a pack on the back, as it did on the H-LEX.
Hyundai is far from the only company looking to commercialize exoskeletons: Ekso Bionics, ReWalk, Lockheed Martin, and Panasonic are all working on robot shells for people who either can’t walk on their own or who could use the ability to lift heavy objects on the job.
