As far as concepts and science fiction goes, the exoskeleton is very real and could soon be used in some of the daily activities that we do. DARPA is already building them for soldiers in the field, and NASA is testing them out to help astronauts exercise in space too. A student in Monash University Australia has come up with a concept for firefighters.

Firefighters usually carry tons of gear, up to 50 pounds of it. The weight might be as much as 125 pounds in the case of emergencies. That's a lot of weight to carry, and it goes without saying that carrying so much only hinders the rescue process.

The firefighting exoskeleton concept developed will help firefighters carry up to 200 pounds. It will support muscle movement, which will help speed up the rescue process and assist them in saving more lives. Here are some pictures:



Via Discovery