The Real Iron Man?

Pizac/AP Photo

I haven’t gotten a chance to write a review about “Iron Man“, which I stole away and managed to see last week. No time this week, as I am busy meeting deadlines prior to leaving to attend the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Awards in New Orleans this weekend (look for daily reports here on The MAD Blog). Suffice it to say it’s my new favorite superhero movie… ever.

Think the idea of a mechanical superhero suit is science fiction? It’s not as far fetched as you might think. I ran across this article this weekend about robotic’s engineer Rex Jameson and his work on an exoskeleton that the Army is taking an interest in. The military has been working on exoskeleton technology for over a decade but Jameson’s innovations have sparked some real possibilities. The suit he has designed amplifies human strength and endurance by up to twenty times. While a long way from being combat ready, the technology may not be far off from use in unloading heavy cargo and equipment for military, rescue and other services, among other possible uses. Remember the mechanical unloader suit Sigourney Weaver wore in “Aliens”?

Here’s a YouTube video story on the suit:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhj3Z9o6t0g[/youtube]

It might be a long time before flying armored superheroes patrol the skies, but today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s technology. In the meantime we can always go see “Iron Man”… AGAIN!