IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2017 - 37

exoskeletons,
Transhumanism,
and Culture
Performing Superhuman Feats

A

recent trend in blockbuster science
fiction film is the depiction of characters wearing exoskeletons1 that
enable them to perform superhuman feats. 2 Exoskeletons have
proven a popular mainstay of
the genre over the past decade
through franchises such as the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, with recurring characters such as Iron Man
(Figure 1). However, the popularity of exoskeletons

HARSHLIGH
T ON FLICKR.
COM

Isabel Pedersen and Tanner Mirrlees

1
We define an exoskeleton as a body-worn human enhancement technology made to heighten, surpass, or add physical or cognitive abilities, that
covers most of the torso and legs.
2
Iron Man [2008, 2010, 2013] and The Avengers [2012, 2015] series starring Robert Downy Jr., Edge of Tomorrow [2014] starring Tom Cruise,
Pacific Rim [2013] starring Charlie Hunnam, and Elysium [2013] starring
Matt Damon.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2017.2670224
Date of publication: 6 March 2017

march 2017

∕

IEEE TEchnology and SocIETy MagazInE

1932-4529/17©2017IEEE

37


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