Powered armor
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A powered exoskeleton is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of a skeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.
Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist and protect the wearer. They may be designed, for example, to assist and protect soldiers and construction workers, or to aid the survival of people in other dangerous environments. A wide medical market exists in the future for providing mobility assistance for aged and infirm people. Other possibilities include rescue work, such as in collapsed buildings, in which the device might allow a rescue worker to lift heavy debris, while simultaneously protecting him from falling rubble.
Working examples have been constructed but are not currently widely deployed. ). Various problems remain to be solved, including suitable power-supply.
Powered armor has appeared in a wide variety of fiction, beginning with E. E. Smith's Lensman series in 1937. Since then, it has featured in science fiction movies and literature, comic books, video games, and tabletop role-playing games. One of the most famous early versions was Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel Starship Troopers, which can be seen as spawning the entire sub-genre concept of military "powered armor."
In addition to heightened strength and protection provided by the exoskeleton, other popular features include internal life support for hostile environments, protection from environmental hazards such as radiation and vacuum, weapons targeting systems, firearms affixed directly to the suit itself, and transportation mechanisms that allow the wearer to fly, make giant leaps, or speed by on ground.
In some portrayals of powered armor, the suit is not much larger than a human. These depictions can be described as a battlesuit with mechanical and electronic mechanisms designed to augment the wearer's abilities. Other power armors are portrayed as being much larger, more like a bipedal vehicle the size of a tank or much larger. These latter are frequently termed Mecha, from the Japanese “メカ” (meka), an adaptation of the English “mechanical.” The line between mecha and power armor is necessarily vague. The usual distinction is that powered armor is form-fitting and worn; mecha have cockpits and are driven,[1] or that powered exoskeletons augment the user's natural abilities, whilst mechas replace them entirely. However, the line between the two can be difficult to determine at times, especially considering that force feedback systems are often included for delicate maneuvers. Even in a larger mecha meant to be driven like a walking tank rather than worn, a realistic control system would have to be either cybernetic or form-fitting[citation needed]: In the BattleTech universe, a cybernetic system is necessary to provide a sense of balance.
Another variation is Bio-Armour, which produces similar strength with organic technology (e.g. Peter F. Hamilton's novel Fallen Dragon, Jim Shooter's X-O Manowar comic book, and the Guyver Japanese animation series).
Most power armors carry an on-board, self-sufficient power source. Masamune Shirow's Landmates in Appleseed used simple internal combustion engines installed into the thigh assembly of the armor. The "hardsuits" of Bubblegum Crisis 2040 have a battery the size of an American football between their shoulderblades, though the functionality is never described. Still, more fantastic power sources have been introduced, for example, in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, the Master Chief's MJOLNIR (pictured below) armor is powered by miniaturized fusion power reactors. The Power Armor in the Fallout series, which is usually worn by the Brotherhood of Steel, a techno-religious group, is also described as being fueled by fusion power cells. In Privateer Press' Iron Kingdoms setting, a steam boiler powers an arcane conversion engine, which ultimately powers the suit. Similarly, in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, the suits are powered by single-celled organisms cultured in Ovo Packs.
In comics and manga
- The Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man, who wields a specialized suit of armor of his own design, is arguably the most popular American superhero who uses powered armor. Other characters in his long-running comic book series have also used such armor, including War Machine, Iron Monger, Titanium Man, and Crimson Dynamo.
- Other notable powered armor users in Western comics include the supervillain Doctor Doom, Steel, Batman (sometimes, notably his Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, Knightfall, Batman Beyond and The Batman permutations), X-O Manowar, and Guardian.
- In Japanese manga Gantz, the characters wear a powered suit like exoskeleton, which gives them enormous strength and protection.
- The Franco-Belgian comics heroine Yoko Tsuno wore one in Aventures électroniques (Electronic Adventures),the 4th graphic novel of her adventures.
- The Guyver is a biomechanical exo-suit from the long-running manga, anime and films of the same name in the franchise created by Yoshiki Takaya.
- The webcomic Schlock Mercenary includes a variety of powered armor, ranging from 'mini-tanks' down through various sorts of articulated hardsuits, to the 'low-profile' carbon fiber armor that is nearly indistinguishable from ordinary uniforms. All forms of power armor in the series to date has had some flight capacity, owing to the ubiquitous artificial gravity technology shown throughout the strip.
- Yu Ominae in Spriggan uses the Armored Muscle Suit, which gives him 30x artificial strength and protection from bullets, fires, explosions and melee weapons.
- During the Incredible Hulk's rampages, S.H.I.E.L.D is known to send HULKBUSTER units. "Hulkbuster" is also a famous Iron Man variant armor, actually an add-on to the famous Mark XI "Modular Armor."
- In Alan Moore's Watchmen Graphic Novel, the second Nite Owl built an Owl Themed Exoskeleton. On its first test run it broke his arm and he never used it again.
- In Greg Bear's Novel Moving Mars thick reactive nano armor was used to protect Martian leaders during an attack by earth from projectiles and made wearers dangerous to all escort personnel.
- Superman's arch-enemy Lex Luthor is known to wear green and purple armor suits from time to time.
- Tech Jacket's main character Zack Thompson has an exoskeleton that gives him his super powers.
- In BIONICLE, the Toa Mata used Exo-Toa to battle the Bahrag.
- A number of graphic novels published by Black Library feature characters wearing power armour.