Normally we'd start off a post about the sale of Canadian
Troy Hurtubise's
Trojan fully-armored exoskeleton with a few amusing Robocop quips, but the reason Troy has to let his crazy, high-tech creation go makes such frivolity seem a little inappropriate. You see, Troy -- inventor of such products as several well-documented
bear suits, a fire-resistant paste, and a
strange device that he claims can see through walls and skin -- spent $150,000 developing the Trojan (apparently his family's entire savings), along with 1,800 hours on everything from calibrating the helmet-mounted laser to designing the unique, um, crotch-mounted digital compass / world clock. Well even after all the media exposure that made his get-up something of an internet celebrity recently, Troy was unable to find any buyers interested in mass producing what was projected to be a $2,000 piece of equipment -- reportedly leaving him broke and facing eviction. If you do decide to pursue this one-of-a-kind wearable tank (it can supposedly withstand a shotgun blast at point blank), keep in mind that you're getting more than just the suit itself, as Troy is also throwing in rights to the so-called "Shadow Armor" formula that he developed; entrepreneurial military contractors take note. So far there hasn't been a single offer on the badass Trojan, and with a starting bid of only $1,000, there's a chance that you could pick this beauty up for a song (the reserve, however, is unknown). We had a pretty funny Batman joke to close things out with, but instead we'll just direct you to the video after the break, and use this space to wish Troy and his family the best of luck.
[Via
The Hamilton Spectator, thanks Bill D.]
posted Feb 6th 2007 9:38PM
Seriously i got 2,000 bucks hell i got 3,000 bucks if they guy has one for me to buy... Maybe he should just look into selling it commercially for weird assholes like me who just wanna go run around in the woods with it on and pretend to be Master Chief from HALO lol...
I give him props for trying... but some things on that suit are impractical. IE Visible laze pointer. It acts almost like a flashlight in the dark. Just screams hey sniper put one between my eyes. And if it comes down to using "bear mace" in a fire fight you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. Mace = 7 feet range. M16 = 150+ yards.
Yet again though, at least he’s trying to be productive. I would have been more impressed if he let the camera crew shoot him with magnum with the end result of him not being injured.
1) Soldiers are not "expendable." To start with, it costs something like $100-150,000 to train and equip the average soldier I believe. In any case, the military doesn't take that attitude - "I will never leave a comrade behind," or words to that effect, is part of the Soldier's Creed. The US uses technology and firepower to avoid using blood. Regarding Dragon Scale Armor, the only person I know who has worn in in Iraq - the reporter Michael Yon - hated it and got rid of it almost immediately uncomfortable and constricting. Additionally, the best information I have read inidcates that its supposed superiority is hype, not fact, and that the military was right to reject it.
2) There is a trade-off between protection and maneuverability - armor that makes you easier to hit and/or reduces your ability to outmanuever your enemy and gain a tactical advantage can be a disadvantage. It is worth remembering that one of the most popular helmets in Medieval Western Europe was the kettle helm, which leaves the face and sides of the head open but allows for easy visibility and good airflow.
3) There is a limit to what armor can accomplish. It is unclear to me how well it would withstand full-jacketed assault rifle and full-power rifle rounds. Additionally, it is worth noting that penetration is not everything - I believe that helmets currently used do a decent job resisting penetration, but the shock of the bullet can cause trauma and brain damage even when the bullet fails to penetrate. Solving that problem means designimg the helmet as integral with the body armor so that the shock is transmitted to the whole body - Mr. Hurtubise's design does not appear to address this problem.
4) A bit peripheral, it I would like to point out that while the Air Force is of little use in the current asymetrical conflict, it would not have been so had Venezuela gone to war with Colombia (as it seems to have nearly oned a few weeks ago), or should China decide to snap up Taiwan, or Iran invades Iraq, or if Russia starts getting aggressive. The mere fact the Air Force (and the Navy, and our armored divisions, etc) exist goes a long way towards deterring full-scale conflicts.
I am speechless...
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What happened?
idk, it seems to be a good idea but his designs seem.....at bess....odd.
I think he should've tried to make the suit a bit more streamlined and not as bulky, i think he would have actually had a better chance of receiving buyers. Anyways, i also hope that the person, or company, who buys his suit will use it as an influence and design help for a better suit.
$999.99 going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman in the military uniform
Of coarse our military wouldn't want this, it might be cost effective and actually save the lives of our expendible soldiers. . . .
Looks to me like half the money went toward making it look like it was a prop from a movie or in a videogame.
That's umm. Yah.
PS- Did anyone else think that spray was rather...umm weak?
so he cant sell this? even the the US military?
Hey dude ! the Power Rangers want their suit back !
Hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame...
It has always surprised how those who do little good in the world are the first to reject the advancments of others. Perhaps this is because they lack the conviction, or intelligence, to do anything beyond flipping patties at a local burger joint. It seems Troy has been around for a long time - so the fifteen minutes of fame quick does nothing but reveal the ignorance of the writer - and the fact that he is broke and yet continues to invent, expresses a willingness to accomplish something for something greater than finance. So, before you arm chair critics apply your fat, grease-stained fingers to the keyboard, do a little homework. Hey, you never know, you may actually have something intelligent to say.
All I want are some frickin Canadians with frickin lasers on ther heads.
Kyoji: agreed, it looks more like a toy than anything actually useful. Fans and a laser pointer in the helmet? what?
this man is either a genius or insane. likely both. i'm doubtful to believe the structural integrity of this suit, as it does look more like a costume than an actual protection suit, although i'd love to be proven wrong. i want to see more info about his angel light though. this man clearly has some great ideas and just needs a good boost to help him get his ideas into society (or usefulness)
Ahh that's a bummer, I feel a bit bad for the guy.
Also, the video says it cost $15,000, not $150,000
bit of a difference :P
It appears even the US military, despite claims to the otherwise, does have common sense.
$10 some paintball 'enthusiast' buys it.
After seeing the suit again, I think it looks more like a Beetleborg than Master chief.
the throat is totally exposed! a sniper would drop him in a heartbeat.
I am prior military and I can tell you a sniper would have great difficulty hitting that barely exposed throat. This armor is a sound idea, maybe you ass holes would know that if you quit jacking off to Shooter and playing WOW and actually served in the Army for a few years. Fuck your selfs hippies.
Actually, he's quite serious... and it's a little more than 15 minutes of fame since he's been doing these suits and designs since the 80's. I'm not saying that makes this suit any more practical, but a handful of his concepts hold weight. Look at how durable and protective some of the bear suits were:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3CzYw5-qdA
The 150k is from the eBay auction, that's where the author got the number...
Dunno which is right though.
i feel really sorry for the guy. I've been following this story since it debut on engadget and i was really hoping that his invention would pay off. apparently the military is either too up in the clouds or too tight in budget to incorporate a new, relatively untested military equipment.
the crotch clock is ridiculous and the spray is not extremely useful in field. the rest of the suit, however, is so intelligently designed that if i had the money, i would bid on it. (okay, if i had the money AND bears in my backyard.)
Hah the music at the end of the video segment is priceless.
Okay, having never seen it before, I already have a problem with the suit.
... How would you pee?
You'd go right on the clock.
His neck is pretty exposed....or do explosions, bullets, and knives not hit there?
he said aboot.. lawlz...
I feel so sorry for Troy. This could have been awesome for all practical battles.
I have the feeling that if the Governments don't want this, chances are the next generation isn't with bullets, but pure waves of assault radiation. :|
"PS- Did anyone else think that spray was rather...umm weak?"
In the video he did say that the spray he had wasn't what he was actually going to use, as the level of mace he would have had would have been severly illegal. Although I do admit the crotch clock is a rediculous idea, I think his design has some merit. He has many of the solid peices that are already implimented in many of todays designs, which were derived from the protection of old for arrow fire. I think he would just need some more financial backing and a sale to the military to make this into a true "halo style" suit.
There are a few things I would have added or changed, the lazer dot he talks about sounds good in theory, but have you tried to find a red dot over 80 feet away when your head will never remain perfectly still? I'm nearly sure that it will be moving to much to be effective, now if you were to put that into a networked tracking system much like a "lock-on" it would be more useful. Also instead of a clock in the crotch why not put it in an in helm HUD? I think that is what could benefit this suit the most, a HUD that would show a position that has been "Locked on to" or current ammunition based on a small wireless chip in the gun or in the clips. This would allow more places to go wrong but they should also be designed to be more of a convenience, than a necessity.
The solar powered fans were a necessity because you would die from the heat without it, yet what if they were to malfunction, the helmet should breath decently enough on its own to not truely need it.
Anywho, I'm done ranting, just some ideas for the guy.
really if that suit does what that guys says it does, why the hell would we not mass produce it, if it can save our soldiers lives money shouldn't be a big deal....and yes it looks badass
The US Army already has a design for the "Next Generation Soldier" it has a "motorcycle helmet" too, this design looks too heavy too bulky, you have to be able to manuvure.
Also I have to ask are you really serious I meen its about the most rediculous looking thing I have ever seen, I meen it raises your profile makes you a larger target, personally when the bullets fly I really dont want to be bigger I want to be smaller. Also what the hell is with the laser on the head I meen that just screams shoot here, especially at night, not tactical, NOT practical. Dont get me started on that retarded cock-clock. There is a saying if it takes a battery it will fail, if it looks weak it will break, the whole thing looks weak. I saw the bear suite, cool, but this is totally retarded
Has this guy and bear suit been on the Colbert Report?
LOL US government buys armor for troops...
Better yet. US Government buys armor for troops to guard against bears. :-P
I think the whole front face mask should also just be wide and bulletproof, lord knows why you are limiting your field of vision like that.
I wanna see if it could take a high velocity steel core round say a 7.62 from an ak47, my money says no.
I would totally wear this to the office. Some MF'er talks some BS to me about smy TPS reports - I'd laser point his forehead and mace him hard!
That is fucking SICK!
I think the US DOD has something else developed. Such as a fabric wich folds like a fabric, feels like a fabric and looks like a fabric. Though it stops a bullet from going trough. Ok, you still have a bruce on you knee for weeks, but at least you don't have a wound. It is made with kevlar and some sort of glass, very clever. Can't find the link in a minute, but it has been on Engadget for sure.
- Unomi -
haha it looks like a kid designed it. "oh i need this and this and this, i'll just smash them all together" looks pretty useless to me. what a waste of money. he could have spent that money on a ferarri or something. it would probably make his penis longer than this lame suit.
The military has been developing their own versions of this sort of thing for decades, and there are several giant hurdles they are still working on. Besides the cost issues involved there are always problems with mobility and fatigue. I doubt there has been enough field testing of this suit for someone to be wearing it more than an hour without extreme discomfort. Preparing for a situation like the one that happened in Somalia is just a waste. Helicopter pilots aren't going to be wearing these things, and the chances of similar incidences are unlikely due to strategic planning. I seriously doubt a can of mace is going to save you from 40 people who want to drag you through the streets.
This thing looks like it only cost 15000 to produce, and it also looks woefully inadequate. Stick to bears, Troy.
He's getting crazier over time; but he's on to something about "brass & politicians"...
If those who govern wanted soldiers to have armour, they would have armour.
That simple.
Instead of actually 'supporting the troops' the obedient/cowed public, yet again, gets scammed out of hundreds of billions for new fighter planes; while troops are being lost to the-enemy piloting bicycles or a car bomb at best.
DragonScale vests stop AK47 rounds easily and are available now; so why don't the soldiers have them?
How many of these new vests can be bought with one F-22? (71 million US each)
Better yet, what kind of personal armor would soldiers have with the R&D budget for the F-22?
Sorry, I just don't trust anyone with inverse sideburns. That and the long mustache just scream "Pabst Blue Ribbon."
C'mon, the suit does have merit in the looks department. If Iraqui soldiers saw a hord of these running towards them in the field, they'd drop their guns and sh*t their pants. The war would be over in a heartbeat.
Anyone else notice that the helmet looks almost exactly like the helmet those Death Star workers wore? You know, the ones that pushed the levers before it fired on Alderran.
fans for cooling!
I gather he never read DUNE
That sure is one stupid costume. Imagine these situations:
1) You are in the Afghan desert under heavy fire. You think to yourself; "Oh, I wonder what time it is in Argentina. Uh, heh, cool, it just 4 p.m. Imagine that. That's really funny because here it's only ... [blood flows from you throat as your fully exposed neck has been rammed by enemy bullets]".
2) You flick open the easy-accessible cover on your arm and activate the killer spray. You feel hot and activate the helmet air-con with its amazing air-intake in the front [your eyes start to melt]".
GAME OVER, buddy!
I don't know. This seems a bit irresponsible to me. The guy spent his family's entire life savings to make a WEAPON! We should be helping him or congratulating him or even paying attention to him. Human beings already have devised a plethora of fascinating ways to kill each other. Why do we need another military weapon that will be used to kill even more people? I say fuck this guy! He is an idiot. If he really cared about his family he wouldn't have wasted his time or money on such a useless project.
The suit is worthless... If anyone disagrees, feel free to buy it and I'll shoot you free of charge after you sign a waiver stating you're an idiot.