Who says video games separate kids from reality? The way I see it, video games give kids a more interesting reality to aim for. Take Halo, for example. Would you sign up for military service if you knew you would get to strut around in Master Chief's exoskeleton? No? Well, some people would, I'm sure. Work with me here.
Inventor/crazy person Troy Hurtubise has created an actual working Halo suit, one that seems to actually have all the bells and whistles as the video game version. It can protect the wearer from knives, bullets, light explosions, clubs, and even an elephant gun. You can breathe easy with the fresh air system run by solar panels in the helmet, and it also has morphine/salt containers, knife and gun holsters, emergency lights, a built-in recording device, pepper spray, and an ingestible transponder for when things are looking especially bleak. He claims he could pump them out for the military for about $2,000 each, which seems kind of steep at a time when soldiers can't even get standard armor for their Humvee's, but I guess anything could happen.
Hamilton Spectator, via Engadget
editor@dvice.com
By Murcielago05 at 7:06 PM ON 01/15/07
That guy is crazy...in a good way.
I hear his name on the net like every few months, about him inventing something...he is a great inventor.
He has made a bear suit...in which while wearing the bear cant bite or claw you. A fire retardent paste which hardens...I've seen him lather it on his head and then wait a little bit (for it to harden) then grab the blow torch and light it up on his skull. I also remember some bullet proof thing...he put the slab in a vehicle door, and shot it with a pistol...the bullet didn't go threw...then a rifle...the bullet didn't go threw...then just because he was curious he put a IED next to it, blew it up and shrapnel flew at the door...but nothing went threw his armor.
So when he says this works...I believe him, he has earned enough street cred over the years that he's no longer considered a nut job.
and 2,000 bucks a pop is actually pretty cheap. But the biggest question isn't the price...its how much do they weight! It looks pretty cumbersome, can you still move smoothly in it, or walk like a robot.
other questions:
how long does it take to put on?
life expectancy (wear & tear)?
agility?
how hot would you get wearing that on a 120F day (thats 48C for Troy the Canadian inventor).
By biotube at 12:41 PM ON 01/16/07
I think the biggest question remaining is does it increase strength or not?
By sinsio at 9:35 AM ON 01/17/07
Murcielago05: Going to the news article link will reveal that the suit is less than 40 lbs.
By ShadowChild at 7:18 PM ON 01/18/07
That...is...AWESOME!!! The helmet looks a little different though...
Does anyone know what the mobility is like? And I know this has been asked, but is there any increase in strength? Somehow I dont see that guy flipping over a tank on his own.
By TEA1C at 10:26 PM ON 07/01/07
its the mark III Mjolnir lol
By TinMan2012 at 4:44 PM ON 12/01/07
The problem with this guy is that he has no grasp of business. If he actually had the brains to hook up with someone in the US, like a holding company or manufacturer, he could use some of his individual inventions. Most people dont want all of his stuff at once, and that's how he's selling it. But things like his bullet-proof stuff have applications in everything from body armor to car tires.
My advice to this guy would be to figure out how to actually move out of the garage and make himself a living with his stuff instead of being a concept designer living out of his back-yard-laboratory.
By Midnight at 7:03 AM ON 01/04/08
Im sure if he wanted to he would. Perhaps he prefers to be a concept designer living in his back yard labratory.
By Spartan117 at 6:25 AM ON 01/12/08
Hmm, not bad, not bad at all. And, suit can't just give you super-human strength (BIOTUBE, SHADOWCHILD)....I can see a few flaws in this suit like, mobilty. Just by looking at it, man! How much does it weigh?! And hmm, solar panels in the halmet...its useless at night right? Last time he invented the Bear suit, he tested the suit by shooting it using a hunting rifle, not military weapon. There are various kind of weapon out there but still, there no armor in the military protects the whole soldiers body. Nice invention!!! Can make lots of cash I think.
By dpbc o1 at 10:19 PM ON 01/26/08
if the suit actully works the way it is supposed to,it would save a lot of our soldiers lives in iraq.
By Dark_Sith at 5:32 PM ON 01/30/08
How does the user pee; is there a flap or panel?
What if it pops open during combat?
By anonymous at 2:33 PM ON 02/13/08
Spartan117, this already has been answered.
It only weighs 40 lbs.
By shadowedsoul at 3:23 AM ON 02/16/08
yea but it would be pretty cool to have though and maybe the solar panels store batterie power so it can work at night
By John-117 at 5:36 PM ON 03/04/08
A cool idea but crazy at the same time!
Spartan117 - If the armour was made out of Kevlar then they would be pretty much sorted, it saves weight and protects from armour-piercing rounds. Expensive to maunfacture though but it would be worthwhile in the long run! Just think, a first real life SPARTAN-I project!
By spartan - 048 kylie at 9:12 AM ON 03/12/08
if you go on break.com theres the video of it and its kl , it could save lives and is cheep so i hope the army buy some and as for the strength thing couldnt he add hydrolics into the arms and legs so that there is more force
By noname at 9:48 PM ON 05/10/08
Actually i think it would be a mjolnir 1
By goatse.cx at 11:52 PM ON 05/18/08
The point of the suit is not to be a replica of any of the versions of the Mjolnir combat suits from the Halo series. It is a functional, working combat suit that was inspired by the Halo series. Look at the facts; it is bullet proof, it is resistant to cutting, piercing and blunt strikes, it is resistant to small concussive blasts, it is light weight. That is more then most body armor the military is using is capable of, and the military is currently only using torso armor and a skull cap.
By ODST2401 at 10:29 PM ON 06/16/08
looks like the odst Body armour from the games except for the helmet
By ArchiveMaster at 12:00 AM ON 08/16/08
Can civilians or military men contact this guy about their buying options? how would they contact him?
By airman4evr at 1:33 PM ON 08/27/08
Great concept. After reading some of the other comments I must say that there are some truths that everyone has brought up. Hard to believe its only 40 lbs. but it seems to be popping up everywhere so I guess its right. I would love to get a suit if I could even if I couldn't use it in the military...lol. Some of the cities right here in the US are just as dangerous. If anything riot squads and SWAT could probably get some use out of it. As for the solar power problem...there's wind of the army making some sort of exoskeleton to increase power but the battery only lasts half an hour but can increase strength and endurance. He might be able to incorporate that too...just a thought.