A battery-powered robotic arm designed to give humans a power boost was declared winner of the 2013 James Dyson Award. The Titan Arm, devised by mechanical engineer students from the University of Pennsylvania, can help people lift an extra 40 pounds – or help those with back injuries rebuild and get moving.
The exoskeleton arm was 3D-printed using recyclable plastic, making it waterproof and ergonomic. According to the team, the Titan Arm costs $2,000 to produce compared to similar exoskeletons that are currently upwards of $100,000.
As first place winners, the students will receive an additional $45,000 to help further develop their prototype. Although it was clearly designed to facilitate manual labor, we can’t wait till the day we can walk around and hulk smash a crumbling building or two.
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