2nd-generation Raytheon exoskeleton prototype vid

I remember awhile back when video of the original XOS prototype made the rounds. Well, now, defense behemoth Raytheon is back with another somewhat cheesy testosterone-fueled video showing the new lighter, stronger XOS 2 prototype performing various feats of strength in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. There’s heavy metal music and one of the actors from Iron Man who is not, ah, actually Iron Man.

All kidding aside, this is pretty neat. It supposedly uses 50% less power than the first prototype and is stronger to boot. And in spite of the “superweapon” marketing the concept sketches betray the rather more unglamorous function such devices are intended to play in a military context, i.e. allowing fewer people to load and unload more stuff, faster. [via Gizmodo]

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