Tony Stark must really be sweating all over now. Even though he had assured everyone in Iron Man 2 that it was nearly impossible for anyone else to make the suit, it looks like he has been proved wrong now! And the maker of the suit is an Indian!
Yes, it is true! Vimal Govind Manikandan, a final year mechanical engineering student from Calicut University has made a suit/ exoskeleton after getting inspired by Marvel’s Iron Man series.
The Specifications:
The suit weighs around 100 kg and is capable of lifting over 150 kg material. Vimal made it specifically for the army and heavy industries, where lifting bulky material is necessary.
The suit is an upgrade over another one built by Vimal in 2015. While the previous one was fully mechanized, the new suit is battery powered and lighter.
He does mention that the exoskeletons used in Avatar also had a significant influence on him. But the design of this suit and the paint job given to it have a typical Iron Man feel to it, as you can see in this video:
The suit looks pretty impressive. But I can’t decide what was the actual highlight; those dance moves or those shades (swag!).
The Next Step:
Mr. Manikandan’s research was sent as a paper to the International Conference on Mechatronics and Manufacturing 2016, where it was voted the best out of entries from 13 countries.
His team is now aiming to improve the design, specially its weight. So don’t be surprised if we have an Indian Iron Man flying across the sky soon!
The highlight of the suit is its cost. It is estimated at below Rs. 50,000, with the team aiming for its use in the army, industry and households for bulk lifting.
Imagine a world where all of us could be Iron Men and Women. (How I wish we could get Tony Stark’s wit along the suit too!) That dream seems to be becoming a reality, thanks to Mr. Manikaran and his team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH5g0Zv6EFg
The suit looks pretty impressive. But I can’t decide what was the actual highlight; those dance moves or those shades (swag!).
The Next Step:
Mr. Manikandan’s research was sent as a paper to the International Conference on Mechatronics and Manufacturing 2016, where it was voted the best out of entries from 13 countries.
His team is now aiming to improve the design, especially its weight. So don’t be surprised if we have an Indian Iron Man flying across the sky soon!
The highlight of the suit is its cost. It is estimated at below Rs. 50,000, with the team aiming for its use in the army, industry, and households for bulk lifting.
This was just the second version of the suit. But the team behind it is hoping to put in further upgrades in the future. So it might not be long before we could see the suit perform several other functions too, like flying! (That would be really cool!)
But there is another benefit of the suit. Imagine how beneficial this suit could be for the disabled! If it is developed further, it could be a boon for those who have suffered an impairment in their motor functions in the past.
Imagine a world where all of us could be Iron Men and Women. (How I wish we could get Tony Stark’s wit along the suit too!) That dream seems to be becoming a reality, thanks to Mr. Manikandan and his team.
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