Real-World 'Iron Man' Suit Foreshadows Future of Artificial Intelligence: "Cyberdyne Incorporated is building a real life Iron Man suit named HAL. No, this isn't the ultimate in crossover fan-fiction - it's an actual factual product. You might expect to wait ten years for such technology, but Cyberdyne Inc. is aiming to start production in October. Yes, THIS October. Start saving.
The suit in Iron Man is built by Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant engineer who has made billions from building weapons. Kidnapped in Afghanistan, he questions his life, and resolves to put his genius to better use: to protecting rather than destroying by building himself a suit of armor that gives him superhuman powers.
The HAL real-world suit is based on the research of Professor Sankai's laboratory at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. The HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) is designed to enhance the abilities of the wearer without restricting their range of motion, a set of sensors and motors at each joint multiplying the user's strength. And like Tony Stark himself, they appreciate that sophisticated systems require sleek styling to sell - with white shelled sections topped with blue-LED rings at each motor, this couldn't be designed to look more modern without spontaneously jumping into the future."
