This Real-Life Batsuit Increases Your Strength But Lets You Stay Flexible

Growing up, a lot of us used to look at medieval knights or astronauts and dream of having our own suit of armor. Yet, as we got older, we learned that people who actually wore those protective suits really didn't enjoy the experience at all. Not only were they extremely heavy and hot inside, but you weren't getting out of them too quickly.

It's for this reason that NASA outfits their astronauts with "maximum absorbency garments," which is a five-dollar term for a space diaper. As for those knights, let's just say it wasn't easy being a squire.

Fortunately, it looks like we're fast approaching a time where we don't have to sacrifice comfort to get an extra boost from what we wear. Not only that, a new model of "exosuit" may help others reclaim their mobility altogether.

COMMENT and tell us what you'd do with your own Batsuit.

Until now, the only super suit we had was an exoskeleton suit.

They're great for lifting weight beyond our human limits and can potentially help those with spinal injuries walk. However, they're also very rigid and clunky, which can make them hard to work with.

That's why some California researchers have developed the Superflex.

It's soft and flexible thanks to its "flexigrip" material, but it also houses robotic muscles that expand and contract just like human ones. When the suit's sensors detect a big physical challenge, it sends an electric current to these muscles and tells them to give the body some extra support.

With this suit, the wearer gets the same boosts as Batman.

It's reported to increase a person's strength and energy by about 25 percent. It was designed to allow soldiers to carry heavy equipment over long distances, but the Superflex is full of possibilities.

Even civilians can get a lot of use out of the suit's leg muscles.

They can apparently help people jump higher and allow those with knee injuries to run.

This technology could even replace the walker.

The Superflex's developers, SRI International, are reportedly planning a similar exosuit to help elderly people with mobility issues walk freely and keep a steady grip.

The suit also boasts a long battery life.

Its sensors allow it to power on when it's needed and turn back off when the wearer isn't experiencing any strain.

SRI has created a whole separate company to explore the exosuit's possibilities.

They completed their military models with the help of funding from DARPA's Warrior Web program. But it looks like the rest of us may one day have a chance to get our very own Superflex boost.

COMMENT and tell us what problem you could solve with a Superflex.