The dream of becoming a machine-assisted superhuman just got more real thanks to the work of University of Pennsylvania students. The group recently won the James Dyson Award for their Titan Arm, a robotic exoskeleton that increases the wearer’s overall arm strength.
See also: Exoskeletons: The Augmented Future of the Human Body
Battery-powered and somewhat bulky, the robotic arm is part of a harness that the wearer straps onto his or her back; it augments a person's strength by up to 40 pounds. Elizabeth Beattie, Nick McGill, Nick Parrotta and Niko Vladimirov won $45,000 in prize money for their invention. The funds will go toward improving the prototype, and securing patents on the design.

Famed industrial designer James Dyson chose the Titan Arm as the winner among dozens of other innovative entries from around the world.
“Titan Arm is obviously an ingenious design, but the team’s use of modern, rapid –- and relatively inexpensive –- manufacturing techniques makes the project even more compelling,” Dyson said in a statement.
“How [the Titan Arm] differs from existing suits is that they tend to use pancake motors, which fit directly on the actuated joint," Parrotta told Mashable. "They’re very small and very compact. But they also tend to be very expensive.”
“[Others] use a special type of transmission called a harmonic drive, and that tends to be a very expensive component," he added. "So instead we looked at a cable drive to cheaply allow for forces to be transmitted from the actuator located on the back.”
Although the device is far from being a commercial product, the creators believe that it could one day become an essential tool for patients rehabbing back injuries, as well as delivery workers in need of an extra boost of strength.
While some might see the field of robotic exoskeletons as something out of a science-fiction novel, several companies are working to make them part of our everyday lives.

Japan’s Cyberdyne has garnered the most attention in recent years for its slick Robot Suit HAL, which is designed to help the elderly and physically impaired walk with greater ease. Although the suit is not generally for sale, it is being offered for rental in Germany and Japan, starting at around $1,600 per month.
“Next is the U.S.,” Taku Ishida, a Cyberdyne spokesperson, told Mashable. “But there is the FDA process. Maybe [it will be available] in the next one to three years.”
As for the future of the Titan Arm, the prize money will likely deliver a significant boost to the product’s development, especially considering that it only cost $2,000 to produce.
“We hope that the Titan Arm can really empower people to do things that might not be feasible normally,” Parrotta said.
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Image: James Dyson Foundation