“While the real-life version of Tony Stark may be concentrating on building electric cars and sending us to Mars, others are trying to turn his Iron Man suit into reality. Today, Hyundai announced (link in Korean) that it was working on a robotic exoskeleton suit, which it compared to an Iron Man suit, Korean news outlet Yonhap reported.
“This wearable robot that we are developing for commercial purposes will be used in diverse areas,” Hyundai told Yonhap. “Such a robot development is in line with Hyundai Motor Group’s vision for free mobility of people and things.”
The suit is apparently an update to the H-LEX (Hyundai Lifecaring ExoSkeleton) suit it debuted last year, according to The Verge, which could have applications both in the military, and on factory floors. Hyundai was not immediately available to comment on when its robot suits would be available to the public.
Korea, like other developed countries, has a growing aging population. Suits like Hyundai’s could help older people stay in the workforce longer. Japan has a similar dilemma and companies like Panasonic are working on robo-systems that could increase the mobility of the increasingly immobile.
Source: QZ.com
