Decades after RoboCop filled moviegoers’ heads with cyborg-suit fantasies, science has finally delivered: next year, the Salt Lake City firm Sarcos Robotics will release the Guardian XO—one of the first commercially available full-body powered exoskeletons ($8,500 monthly lease). The exoskeleton—an earlier iteration of which was recognized in TIME’s 2010 list of Best Inventions—is effectively a wearable robot shell that enables wearers to lift as much as 200 lb. It’s designed to prevent on-the-job injuries by reducing the strain of manual labor, and boasts as much as six hours of battery life. —J.R. Sullivan
Buy now: Sarcos Robotics Guardian XO
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
