My sad duty to report that Sarah Palin is only the 2nd coolest Wasillan ever, behind the robot guy

[Bucky]

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton
27 hydraulic cylinders bring the mechs to life, its movements matching those of the person inside it
By Charles Crain

Carlos Owens had handled all kinds of machines as an army mechanic, but he always dreamed of using those skills for one project: his own "mecha,” a giant metal robot that could mirror the movements of its human pilot.

Owens, 31, began building an 18-foot-tall, one-ton prototype at his home in Wasilla, Alaska, in 2004. Working without blueprints, he first built a full-scale model out of wood. Moving on to steel, he had to devise a hydraulics system that would provide precisely the right leverage and range of movement. He settled on a complex network of cables and hydraulic cylinders that can make the mecha raise its arms, bend its knees, and even do a sit-up.

Owens is working on two more prototypes, modifying the design to make it lighter and more maneuverable. He foresees mechas having uses in the military and the construction industry but acknowledges that right now they’re best suited to entertainment. The first application he has in mind: mecha-vs.-mecha battles, demolition-derby style.

Time: 4 years
Cost: $25,000

<== more than meets the eye

[slay]

1. Very cool!

That's wild! :headbang:

[jmowreader]

2. Someone read Heinlein's Starship Troopers, it seems

This sounds like the "suits" the Mobile Infantry cap troopers wore into combat, but without the H-racks and weapons belts.

[mainegreen]

3. I weep for joy, upon reading this.

[Aristus]

4. It's kinda like this: