The Iron Man franchise may have almost run out of steam in 2013, but the prospect of a real suit worthy of Tony Stark is heading in the opposite direction. In May news hit that inventors at Solar System Express (Sol-X) and biotech designers Juxtopia LLC (JLLC) are collaborating on a space diving suit (complete with gyroscopic boots and power gloves) that would enable extreme thrill seekers to take a leap from the very edge of space. Back on the ground, the US Navy's top SEAL, four-star Admiral William McRaven, is pushing for a military take on the Iron Man suit called the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) that would incorporate a range of technologies, such as medical diagnosis and treatment and situational awareness, into an endurance- and strength-enhancing exoskeleton.
Given they don't yet exist, you probably won't see either of these in your stocking this year, but with the rapid development of exoskeletons across a range of fields we've seen continue throughout 2013, this is one area that's quickly becoming more science than fiction.
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