Tsukuba University is developing an artificially powered exoskeleton going by the name Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) that promises to give its wearer up to 10X their original strength. It does so with a sophisticated feed-forward control system made up of a bio-sensors, servo motors, and a 100 Volt battery back. Basically, sensors attached to your skin send signals to HAL's computer who then predicts your movements and then "assists" you in those movements by powering the motors on your appropriate joints.
You have the ability to vary the amount of assistance that HAL provides anywhere from 10 to 90 percent. At the highest setting, you would be able to lift objects that weigh potentially thousands of pounds. However fun that may sound, HAL is designed for the elderly to help them accomplish ordinary tasks that their frail bodies may no longer be capable of doing.
HAL carries quadriplegic, Seiji Uchida, to within 150 meters of Breithorn's 4,164 m summit.
This project is still under development, but HAL is expected to be available for consumers in Japan for what works out to about US$13,000. Check out the official HAL project page (in English!).
