One of the few suits available to the public, Japanese company Cyberdyne Inc.'s Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) 5 exoskeleton is capable of enhancing the wearer's strength by a factor of ten. The HAL suit is one of the smaller suits in development, weighing approximately twenty three kilograms and is available to residents of Japan only at this time. The HAL suit's purpose as stated by Cyberdyne is to assist "people with weakened muscles and by some people with disabilities due to stroke and/or spinal cord injury." (CYBERDYNE)
Another project out of Japan, Honda developed a pair of robotic leg supports for use by assembly line workers to take strain off of the legs and back of individuals whose jobs require squatting in uncomfortable position for long periods of time. This project is a wonderful example of exoskeletons' potential for preventing workplace injury. (Honda)
The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) is a suit aimed at supporting the legs and back of the wearer created by the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory UC Berkeley. BLEEX also includes "a backpack-like frame on which a variety of loads can be mounted." (Berkeley)
It is plain to see that advancements in this field of technology are both coming in the near future and already here in some cases, which is good news for all who would benefit from the use of such suits.