The Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loader from James Cameron’s Aliens is an iconic piece of sci-fi hardware, and we’ll probably see something similar in the real world before too much longer. Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loader, Aliens Image: 20th Century Fox Here’s 18 examples, ranked from what you wouldn’t want to run into in a fight to what you really don’t want to run into on the battlefield. Given those military roots, however, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that science fiction authors, game developers, or movie directors will use some sort of exoskeleton or suit of powered armor for a pivotal battle sequence - starting with Robert Heinlein’s classic novel Starship Troopers all the way up to games like Halo or films like Iron Man.īut not every set of power armor is equal, and there are some that might be better to come up against than others. She mentioned that while these devices have their roots in military technology, designers are hoping that they can be used to help help workers on the job or prevent them from getting injured, or assist the disabled move around. Recently, my colleague Lauren Goode finished out the second season of her series Next Level by checking out the promising future of exoskeletons in the workplace.
They enhance the abilities of futuristic soldiers on the battlefield, giving them an edge against their enemies. Power armor and exoskeletons are a staple in science fiction.
