Raytheon shows off "Iron Man" exoskeleton

Ok, it isn't bullet-proof and it can't fly but Raytheon's Sarcos Exoskeleton can carry 200lb and is agile enough to climb stairs.

It isn't really practical yet and appears to be connected to power and computer via a thick set of cables but they have come a long way since they started on the exoskeleton in 2000.

My guess is that in about 10 years we will see these deployed with our military - not as laser wielding Terminators but as cargo loading assistants as in the movie Aliens.

(large photo gallery at raytheon)

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Tech image of the day: Topol-M ICBM

People look at Topol-M ICBM passing by during a rehersal for the nation's Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 5, 2008. Victory Day, in honor of the end of WWII, will be celebrated on May 9. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

The Topol-M missile is 75.5 feet long, 6.4 feet in diameter, weighs 104,000lb, is know in the west as the SS-27 Stalin, and carries six 550 kiloton nuclear warheads.

This version with a mobile launcher entered service in 2006 and between silo and mobile launched Topol-M missiles there will be 62 in service by the end of 2008.

The Topol-M has a range of 6,900 miles and is thought to have propulsion enhancements designed to help it avoid US anti-ballistic missiles.

Thales optronic mast to make submarines less detectible

The British Royal Navy's new Astute class of attack submarines are doing away with the traditional periscope and instead will be fitted with an optronic mast designed by Thales UK.

The mast (SHU: Sensor Head Unit) will pop-up, capture a 360-degree scan of the surrounding area, and disappear back beneath the waves before enemy ships have a chance to detect it. It is pressure-proof, can operate in a wide range of temperatures, is blast hardened, and contains stabilized high-performance cameras and optics as well as environmental sensors.

(via gizmag)

2 hypersonic test flights planned for 2009

DARPA has announced two test flights of it's Hypersonic Technology Vehicles next year in May and October.

Both will be launched by Minotaur solid-fuel rockets from Vandenberg Air Force Base and will impact near Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.

If these flights are successful the next flight demonstrator may be the reusable Blackswift plane and we will be a step closer to getting anywhere on the planet in just a few hours.

(via flightinternational)

Hard drive crusher

PC Magazine recently got sent a destroyed hard drive by eDR solutions to show off their hard drive crusher.

The hard drive crusher drills a hole through the spindle of the hard drive which according to eRD "creates ripples in the platters making it impossible to recover the data".

This 19" x 13.5" x 12" gadget runs off a standard AC outlet and can destroy 60 drives an hour with the actual crushing taking just 10 seconds.

The hard drive crusher costs $11,500 plus an extra $895 for a hand pump to use if the power is out. For that sort of money they seem to be targeting the military and embassies as customers.

I know how I destroy hard drives: I take them to the range and put about 20 7.65x51mm NATO rounds through them - it's fun and I know the military can use the same solution and spend $10 on ammo instead of $11,500 on a crusher.

(via gearlog)

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Fluidhand competes with i_LIMB for title of best bionic hand

A couple of days we told you about i-LIMB - a bionic hand that is already being used by disabled servicemembers, and now another bionic hand has shown up on the scene.

The Fluidhand seems to have similar features to the i-LIMB and we say the more bionic hands out there helping amputees lead more normal lives the better (and I for one welcome our new bionic overlords!).

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The best bionic prosthetic hand yet?

Touch Bionics is showing off their prosthetic hand that looks to be almost as good as the real thing. The best thing is that the case study they use on their website is a former US Army soldier injured in Iraq.

The i-LIMB is the first fully articulating bionic hand that is commercially available (for $17.5k) and has 5 individually power digits controlled my myoelectric muscle signals from the remaining part of the users arm, each digit also has advanced sensors that determine the correct amount of grip to use in order to hold something without crushing it.

Lets hope more of these find their way to injured servicemembers.

Read about US Army Sgt Juan Arredondo at Touch Bionics

(via ubergizmo)

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Military aims to regrow body parts

A major difference between the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and previous wars is that in these wars we have been able to save a vast number of injured soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who would otherwise have died from their injuries.

This is due in part to better protective gear and in part to the excellent prompt medical care our troops receive.

The downside to this is that we have high numbers of badly injured servicemembers who need ongoing medical care along with assistance adjusting to injuries such as severe burns and loss of limbs.

With that in mind that Defense Department just launched a really worthwhile program: establishing the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine with a five-year $250m budget to "harness stem cell research and technology in finding innovative ways to use a patient’s natural cellular structure to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers".

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the war on terror our servicemembers put their lives on the line for every American and they deserve the best care and rehabilitation money can provide.

(full press release after the jump)

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