From the BBC, comes “US army develops robotic suits” a news report guaranteed to make all Heinlein fans and Wilcox children drool.
And if you never have, you should go read Starship Troopers
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Do they sell those suits at Walmart???
Not yet, but this is why we support the NRA.
And, these are from a military project, so you’d expect to find them at Target.
Here’s a picture of a currently-in-use real-live enabling exoskeleton technology which can currently be leased.
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=226395&s=25301&a=226388&po=20,00.asp
This HAL-5 suit garnered media attention in 2006 when it helped a paralyzed man get within 500 yards of the summit of Breithorn Mountain in Switzerland.
The suit featured in the BBC article is under development by Raytheon. Excellent video, photos, etc., are available here: http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/technology/rtn08_exoskeleton/.
The HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) Cybernetic Suit, Cyberdyne Corporation, Japan
The HAL suit is ready to be mass-produced in Japan. The cost: A mere $4,200 US—less than a Segway.
http://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/robotics/i-am-ironman.
From GearLog: Honda Unveils Two Robotic Walking Assistant Prototypes.