Robert Downey Jr. may want to move aside and let this British inventor take the spotlight for creating a real Iron Man-like exosuit. Richard Browning has become the real-life Tony Stark after he and his company successfully built a flight suit that allowed him to fly above the ground like the popular Avenger.
Browning is an entrepreneur behind the company called Gravity. As its name implies, the company's main objective is to help man defy gravity by advancing human propulsion technology. Gravity has already filed a patent for the technology it has designed, developed and, as the attached video shows, tested successfully.
As Hot Hardware noted, the flight suit is dubbed Daedalus after a popular figure in Greek mythology. Daedalus was the skilled craftsman who built wings for him and his son to escape prison. Like the Greek hero, Browning built a device that allowed him to fly. The suit is made up of miniaturized jet engines mounted on his body particularly on his arms and legs. Other tests show the jet engines on his back similar to a jet pack. The jet engines not only lifted browning off the ground but he was also able to move around the test area during his successful run.
The Daedalus is similar to the exosuits built by another robotics company. Sarcos Robotics developed an exoskeleton suit that resembles the one worn by Tom Cruise in the film "Edge of Tomorrow". The two are similar in a way as both allow humans to perform tasks that they are not capable on their own. The Daedalus allows the wearer to fly while Sarcos' Guardian XOS exosuit is more of a device that enhances human strength without sacrificing agility.
Hyundai Motor Group is another company setting its sight on creating robotic exosuits. Like the Guardian XOS, Hyuandai's creation is suited for national defense as well as for heavy duty work in factories and the like.
Gravity is already pondering on opening its creation to the public. The company is considering letting the paying public ride the Daedalus and experience what it's like to be in Tony Stark's iron shoes.
