The MATE is a purely mechanical exoskeleton that augments human strength

The honest reality is that the exoskeletons that are designed for mainstream use have a completely different purpose from those popularized by pop-culture. There’s a long way to go before we have flashy supersuits that make us fly, because the truth is that exoskeletons are capable of doing much more to help the common man, whether it’s a simple augmentation that helps workers sit wherever they are, or exoskeletons that give blue-collar workers enhanced strength to perform tasks they couldn’t prior to augmentation.

Take for instance Comau’s MATE (short for Muscular Aiding Tech Exoskeleton), a completely mechanical exoskeleton that augments its wearer’s lifting ability, while also helping maintain a correct posture. Working as an enabling as well as corrective device, the MATE works purely on a cleverly designed spring-based passive structure, eliminating the need for motors or batteries. Not only does this bring down the production cost of the exoskeleton, it’s also much more cost-effective from a maintenance standpoint too, and doesn’t need to use any electrical energy in the process. The MATE comes in two sizes (ideally for men and women) and with five different adjustable parts, depending on body-types. When strapped onto a worker, the MATE helps decrease workload, fatigue, and chances of injuries or physiological problems, and in turn, increase productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction.

Designer: Comau

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How Huawei plans to fight webcam hackers!

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Huawei’s response to the tape-over-your-webcam phenomenon is nothing if not very James-Bondian. Hidden discreetly in your keyboard, right between f6 and f7, is a bogey key. Press it and the key rises above the surface to reveal a webcam pointing at you. Press the camera down and you’re protected from people remotely hacking into your camera and your life.

The physically moving webcam would ensure you don’t have a camera pointing at you without you knowing what’s happening. When the camera docks into the keyboard, it doesn’t film anything (or rather, anything of consequence). What this also enabled Huawei’s MateBook X Pro to do is follow the rising trend of obliterating bezels around screens. Removing the webcam from the top of the screen, the MateBook X Pro as a result, has a 91% screen to body ratio, with the upper half having a bezel only at the bottom end (where the hinge begins).

However, there are a few complaints that the camera, while looking super cool, captures you from a rather unflattering angle. I believe the term “nasalcam” was coined for this purpose. A small price to pay for protecting your privacy??

Designer: Huawei

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Image Credits: Vlad Savov