The benefits of robotic exoskeleton technology are easy to imagine. Increased, strength and endurance, the ability to carry heavier armor plating for protection, and as Ripley pointed out in the sci-fi classic “Aliens,” there’s no better way to take on extraterrestrial hive queens. The Department of Defense has been investing money into the TALOS “Iron Man” suit since 2013, but thus far, there’s no indication that the technology has matured enough to see any reasonable use in a combat environment.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there are no less than reasonable uses for exo-suit technology available today.

Enter the Skeletonics line of exoskeletons, purpose-built for the type of guy that wants to look the part of an alien hunting space marine, despite not actually being able to do most of the things you might expect at first glance. Think of it as the robotic equivalent of an Airsoft gun: the Skeletonics exo-suits look and feel like an intimidating piece of combat hardware… but would never work in a real fight.

Skeletonics Unit 01

The suit is entirely analog, meaning it doesn’t actually provide the wearer with any increase in strength or capability. Nonetheless, the Skeletonics suits do represent some impressive engineering. At around 88 pounds, these platforms are designed to be moved and powered by the human body — and they manage to do so with an impressive degree of specificity.