A powered exoskeleton is a mobile machine wearable over all or part of the human body , providing ergonomic structural support , and powered by a system of electric motors , pneumatics , levers , hydraulics or a combination of cybernetic technologies, allowing for sufficient limb movement, and providing increased strength, protection and endurance.
142-428: Other names include for this include power or (high-tech) armor ; powered, cybernetic, robot or robotic (armor) or suit ; exo or (hard) suit ; frame or augmented mobility .) The exoskeleton is designed to provide better mechanical load tolerance, and its control system aims to sense and synchronize with the user's intended motion and relay the signal to motors which manage the gears. The exoskeleton also protects
284-399: A 1997 film version directed by Paul Verhoeven with screenplay by Edward Neumeier that sought to satirize what the director saw as the fascist aspects of the novel. Robert Heinlein was among the best-selling science fiction authors of the 1940s and 1950s, along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke ; they were known as the "big three" that dominated US science fiction. In contrast to
426-454: A 1960 review as one of the ten best genre books of 1959, in a 2009 review as a key science fiction novel of the 1950s, and as the best-known example of military science fiction . The novel has been described as marking Heinlein's transition from writing juvenile fiction to a "more mature phase" as an author. Reviewing the book with others written for children, Floyd C. Gale of Galaxy Science Fiction wrote in 1960 that "Heinlein has penned
568-405: A Strange Land . By 1980, twenty years after its release, Starship Troopers had been translated into eleven languages and was still selling strongly. Heinlein nevertheless complained that, despite this success, almost all the mail he received about it was negative and he only heard about it "when someone wants to chew me out". The novel is highly contentious. Controversy surrounded its praise of
710-598: A bigger threat. The novel draws some comparisons between the Chinese and the Arachnids, and suggests that the lessons of one war could be applied to the other. To Heinlein's surprise, Starship Troopers won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960. It has been acknowledged as one of the best-known and most influential works of science fiction. The novel is considered a landmark for the genre, having been described by
852-579: A falling object, and potential falls due to a shift in center of gravity. As of 2018, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has not prepared any safety standards for exoskeletons. The International Organization for Standardization published a safety standard in 2014, and ASTM International was working on standards to be released beginning in 2019. In medical application, e.g. with complete paraplegia after spinal cord injury , an exoskeleton can be an additional option for
994-412: A few high-profile cases. Humans exhibit a wide range of physical size differences in both skeletal lengths and limb and torso girth, so exoskeletons must either be adaptable or fitted to individual users. In military applications, it may be possible to address this by requiring the user to be of an approved physical size in order to be issued an exoskeleton. Physical body size restrictions already occur in
1136-460: A full charge and lift 92 kg (203 lb) for the wearer. Categorisation of powered exoskeletons falls into structure, body part focused on, action, power technology, purpose, and application. Rigid exoskeletons are those whose structural components attached to the user’s body are made with hard materials such as metals, plastics, fibers, etc. Soft exoskeletons , also called exo-suits, are instead made with materials that allow free movement of
1278-507: A full-body suit that meets the needs of soldiers has proven challenging. In the early 2000s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) funded the first Sarcos full-body, powered exoskeleton prototype, which was hydraulically actuated and consumed 6,800 watts of power. By 2010, DARPA and Sarcos had more than halved that, to 3,000 watts, but still required the exoskeleton to be tethered to
1420-521: A futuristic military as depicted in the novel were deeply influential among films, books, and television shows in later years. Roger Beaumont has suggested that Starship Troopers may some day be considered a manual for extraterrestrial warfare. Suvin refers to Juan Rico as the "archetypal Space Soldier". Starship Troopers included concepts in military engineering which have since been widely used in other fiction, and which have occasionally been paralleled by scientific research. The novel has been cited as
1562-409: A higher torque and a lower engine speed, whereas shifting to a lower gear has the opposite effect. Accelerating increases the load, whereas decelerating decreases the load. Similarly, the load on a pump depends on the head against which the pump is pumping, and on the size of the pump. Similar considerations apply to a fan . See Affinity laws . Starship Troopers Starship Troopers
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#17327870330551704-582: A human interstellar government called the Terran Federation, dominated by a military elite. Under the Terran Federation, only veterans of Federal Service (including, but not limited to, military service) enjoy full citizenship, such as the right to vote. The first-person narrative follows Juan "Johnny" Rico, a young man of Filipino descent, through his military service in the Mobile Infantry. He progresses from recruit to officer against
1846-491: A juvenile that really is not. This is a new and bitter and disillusioned Heinlein". Rating it 2.5 stars out of five for children, 4.5 stars for adults, and "?" for civilians, he believed that the novel would be "of exceptional interest to veterans with battle experience ... but youngsters will find it melancholy and verbose". Conversely, Michael Moorcock described it as Heinlein's last "straight" science fiction, before he turned to more serious writing such as Stranger in
1988-412: A map-and-counter board wargame featuring a number of scenarios as written in the novel. In 1998, Mythic Entertainment released Starship Troopers: Battlespace . The web-based interactive game, in which players battled each other in overhead space combat, allowed players to assume either Klendathu or Federation roles, was developed alongside the film adaptation. Starship Troopers: The Miniatures Game
2130-466: A master-slave system: the operator was in a master suit surrounded by the exterior slave suit, which performed work in response to the operator's movements. The response time for the slave suit was slow compared to a suit constructed of a single layer, and bugs caused "violent and uncontrollable motion by the machine" when moving both legs simultaneously. Hardiman's slow walking speed of 0.76 metres per second (2.5 ft/s) further limited practical uses, and
2272-529: A military, alien context is a common theme in Heinlein's earlier works as well. Rico's coming-of-age has also been described as being related to his relationship with his father; the journey "outward" through the novel also contains a search for Rico's childhood and a reunion with his estranged parent. Starship Troopers also critiques US society of the 1950s, suggesting that it led young people to be spoiled and undisciplined. These beliefs are expressed through
2414-417: A motor or engine), acts. The load can often be expressed as a curve of force versus speed. For instance, a given car traveling on a road of a given slope presents a load which the engine must act against. Because air resistance increases with speed, the motor must put out more torque at a higher speed in order to maintain the speed. By shifting to a higher gear, one may be able to meet the requirement with
2556-587: A number of quotes within the novel suggest that the characters within the book assume that the Federal Service is largely military. For instance, when Rico tells his father that he is interested in Federal Service, his father immediately explains his belief that Federal Service is a bad idea because there is no war in progress, indicating that he sees Federal Service as military in nature. Gifford states that although Heinlein's intentions may have been that Federal Service be 95 percent non-military, in relation to
2698-535: A powered suit of armor for infantrymen. The design included brain-scanning sensors in the helmet and was considered too futuristic; it was never built. In 1986, an exoskeleton called the Lifesuit was designed by Monty Reed, a US Army Ranger who had broken his back in a parachute accident. While recovering in the hospital, he read Robert Heinlein's science fiction novel Starship Troopers , and Heinlein's description of mobile infantry power suits inspired Reed to design
2840-399: A raid against a planetary colony held by Skinnies. The raid is relatively brief: the platoon lands on the planet, destroys its targets, and retreats, suffering two casualties in the process. One of them, Dizzy Flores, is rescued by Rico but dies while returning to orbit. The narrative then flashes back to Rico's graduation from high school. Rico and his best friend Carl are considering joining
2982-534: A reaction to Heinlein's novel, a suggestion Haldeman denies; the two novels are very different in terms of their attitude towards the military. The Forever War does not depict war as a noble pursuit, with the sides clearly defined as good and evil; instead, the novel explores the dehumanizing effect of war, influenced by the real world context of the Vietnam War. Haldeman received a letter from Heinlein, congratulating him on his Nebula Award, which "meant more than
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#17327870330553124-495: A rocket during a drill with armored suits and simulated nuclear weapons without ensuring that no friendlies were within the blast zone, which in combat would have resulted in the death of a fellow soldier. Another recruit, who murdered a baby girl after deserting the army, is hanged by his battalion after his arrest by civilian police. Disheartened, Rico thinks of resigning when he receives a letter from Jean Dubois, who taught Rico History and Moral Philosophy . Dubois reveals that he
3266-459: A six-episode Japanese original video animation locally titled Uchū no Senshi with mobile infantry power armor designs by Kazutaka Miyatake , based on Starship Troopers . Dark Horse Comics , Mongoose Publishing and Markosia hold the license to produce comic books based on Starship Troopers , written by authors including Warren Ellis , Gordon Rennie and Tony Lee . Avalon Hill published Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers in 1976,
3408-530: A soldier, while exploring issues of identity and motivation, and traces his overall moral and social development, in a manner identified by commentators as similar to many stories about German soldiers in World War I . Rico's transformation has been likened to the common narrative within stories with military themes by scholar H. Bruce Franklin . This typical narrative is that of a sloppy and unfit civilian being knocked into shape by tough officers, whose training
3550-443: A story". A 1979 summary said that though Heinlein's vision might verge on fascism, his tightly controlled narrative made his ideology seem "vibrantly appealing". Starship Troopers is generally considered to promote militarism, the glorification of war and of the military. Scholar Bruce Franklin referred to it in 1980 as a "bugle-blowing, drum-beating glorification" of military service, and wrote that militarism and imperialism were
3692-544: A supportive exoskeleton. In 2001, Reed began working full-time on the project, and in 2005 he wore the 12th prototype in the Saint Patrick's Day Dash foot race in Seattle, Washington. Reed claims to have set the speed record for walking in robot suits by completing the 4.8-kilometre (3 mi) race at an average speed of 4 kilometres per hour (2.5 mph). The Lifesuit prototype 14 can walk 1.6 km (1 mi) on
3834-588: A tradition of militarism in US science fiction, and draws parallels between the conflict between humans and the Bugs, and the Cold War . A coming-of-age novel , Starship Troopers also criticizes the US society of the 1950s, arguing that a lack of discipline had led to a moral decline, and advocates corporal and capital punishment . Starship Troopers brought to an end Heinlein's series of juvenile novels . It won
3976-399: A two-part serial titled Starship Soldier . A senior editor at Putnam's, Peter Israel, purchased the manuscript and approved revisions that made it more marketable to adults. Asked whether it was aimed at children or adults, he said at a sales conference "Let's let the readers decide who likes it." The novel was eventually published by G. P. Putnam's Sons . Set approximately 700 years in
4118-589: A war between an alliance of the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia, against the "Chinese Hegemony". Two extraterrestrial civilizations are depicted, respectively, as the "Pseudo-Arachnids" (or "Bugs"), and the "Skinnies". The "Bugs" are described as communal beings originating from the planet of Klendathu, and consist of multiple castes; workers, warriors, brains, and queens, similar to those of ants and termites on Earth. The warriors are
4260-399: A war between two highly aggressive species, of which humans are one. The story deliberately inverts several aspects of Starship Troopers : the story is told from the point of view of diplomats seeking to prevent war, rather than soldiers fighting it, and the conflict is the result of the two species being extremely similar, rather than different. The film rights to the novel were licensed in
4402-451: Is "calculated sadism" but is depicted as fundamentally being on the right side. The letter Rico receives from Dubois, partly responsible for Rico "crossing the hump" with his training, is shown as a turning point in his development. The classroom scenes embedded in the story serve to explain Rico's adventures, and highlight his reactions to events around. A notable example is the execution Rico
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4544-459: Is a military science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein . Written in a few weeks in reaction to the US suspending nuclear tests , the story was first published as a two-part serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction as Starship Soldier , and published as a book by G. P. Putnam's Sons on November 5, 1959. The story is set in a future society ruled by
4686-454: Is a design issue for traditional "hard" robots. Several human joints such as the hips and shoulders are ball and socket joints , with the center of rotation inside the body. Since no two individuals are exactly alike, fully mimicking the degrees of freedom of a joint movement is not possible. Instead, the exoskeleton joint is commonly modeled as a series of hinges with one degree of freedom for each axis of rotations. Spinal flexibility
4828-467: Is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an "ideologically intense" book. A 1997 review in Salon categorized it as a " philosophical novel ". Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout
4970-515: Is another challenge since the spine is effectively a stack of limited-motion ball joints. There is no simple combination of external single-axis hinges that can easily match the full range of motion of the human spine . Because accurate alignment is challenging, devices often include the ability to compensate for misalignment with additional degrees of freedom. Soft exoskeletons bend with the body and address some of these issues. A successful exoskeleton should assist its user, for example by reducing
5112-458: Is based on a literal reading of the novel, and that the story glorifies militarism to a large extent. Ken Macleod argues that the book does not actually advocate fascism because anybody capable of understanding the oath of Federal Service is able to enlist and thereby obtain political power. Macleod states that Heinlein's books are consistently liberal, but cover a spectrum from democratic to elitist forms of liberalism, Starship Troopers being on
5254-423: Is depicted as a sign of human advancement. A 1997 review of the film in Salon stated that the novel could almost be described as propaganda, and was terrifying as a result, particularly in its belief that the boot camp had to be an ingredient of any civilization. This was described as a highly unusual utopian vision. Moorcock stated that the lessons Rico learns in boot camp: "wars are inevitable, [and] that
5396-423: Is divided into "recovery" exoskeletons used for rehabilitation, and "performance" exoskeletons used for assistance. The application categories includes military use, medical use, including recovery exoskeletons, research use, and industrial use. Mobility aids are frequently abandoned for lack of usability. Major measures of usability include whether the device reduces the energy consumed during motion, and whether it
5538-502: Is forced to witness after a deserter from his unit murders a young girl; Rico is uncertain of his own reaction until he remembers a lecture by Dubois in which the latter argues that "moral sense" derives entirely from the will to survive. The concept of the American frontier is also related to the coming-of-age theme. Young protagonists across Heinlein's novels attain manhood by confronting a hostile "wilderness" in space; coming-of-age in
5680-423: Is from a wealthy family, whose members had never served in the military. Rico's ancestry is depicted as inconsequential, society having finally abandoned racial and gender-based prejudice. The novel opens with Rico aboard the corvette transport Rodger Young (named after real life Medal of Honor recipient Rodger Wilton Young ), serving with the platoon known as "Rasczak's Roughnecks". The platoon carries out
5822-566: Is however still largely unknown. Companies have to conduct a risk assessment for workplaces at which exoskeletons are to be used. The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance has developed a draft risk assessment for exoskeletons and their use. The safety assessment is based on diverse experience including machine safety, personal protective equipment and risk analysis of physical stresses at work. The exoskeletons available on
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5964-412: Is increasingly being used in the automotive industry, with the goal of reducing worker injury (especially in the shoulders and spine) and reducing errors due to fatigue. They are also being examined for use in logistics . These systems can be divided into two categories: For its application in the broadest sense, industrial exoskeletons must be lightweight, comfortable, safe, and minimally disruptive to
6106-479: Is not at war, yet such a declaration has come when Rico has completed his training. The "Skinnies" are initially allies of the Pseudo-Arachnids, but switch to alliance with humans, midway through the novel. Faster-than-light travel exists in this future: spacecraft use the "Cherenkov drive", and can travel "Sol to Capella, forty-six lightyears , in under six weeks". Starship Troopers is narrated by
6248-601: Is popularly thought to be a direct reply to Starship Troopers , and though Haldeman has stated that it is actually a result of his personal experiences in the Vietnam War , he has admitted to being influenced by Starship Troopers . Haldeman said that he disagreed with Starship Troopers because it "glorifies war", but added that "it's a very well-crafted novel, and I believe Heinlein was honest with it". The Forever War contains several parallels to Starship Troopers , including its setting. Commentators have described it as
6390-477: Is promoted to corporal by Jelal after Rasczak dies in combat. One of his comrades in the Roughnecks suggests that Rico go to officer training school and try to become an officer. Rico ends up going to see Jelal, and finds that Jelal already had the paperwork ready. Rico enters Officer Candidate School for a second course of training, including further courses in "History and Moral Philosophy". En route from
6532-562: Is safe to use. Some design issues faced by engineers are listed below. One of the biggest problems facing engineers and designers of powered exoskeletons is the power supply . This is a particular issue if the exoskeleton is intended to be worn "in the field", i.e. outside a context in which the exoskeleton can be tethered to external power sources via power cables , thus having to rely solely on onboard power supply. Battery packs would require frequent replacement or recharging, and may risk explosion due to thermal runaway . According to Sarcos,
6674-515: Is something endured, not enjoyed, and second, that war is so unpleasant, so desolate, that it must at all costs be kept away from one's home." Poul Anderson also defended some of the novel's positions, arguing "Heinlein has recognized the problem of selective versus nonselective franchise, and his proposed solution does merit discussion." Complaints were made against Heinlein for the lack of conscription in Starship Troopers . When he wrote
6816-410: Is strongly in favor of corporal punishment and capital punishment, as a means of correcting juvenile delinquents , part of a trend in science fiction which examines technology and outer space in an innovative manner, but is reactionary with respect to human relationships. As with other books by Heinlein, traditional schools are denigrated, while learning "on the spot" is extolled: Rico is able to master
6958-408: Is the physical stress on a mechanical system or component leading to strain . Loads can be static or dynamic . Some loads are specified as part of the design criteria of a mechanical system. Depending on the usage, some mechanical loads can be measured by an appropriate test method in a laboratory or in the field. It can be the external mechanical resistance against which a machine (such as
7100-488: Is the first exoskeleton to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for stroke patients. The German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence has developed two general purpose powered exoskeletons, CAPIO and VI-Bot. These are primarily being used for teleoperation. Exoskeleton technology is also being developed to enhance precision during surgery, and to help nurses move and carry heavy patients. Developing
7242-480: Is the same difference of a powered exoskeleton to orthotics , as orthosis mainly aims to promote progressively increased muscle work and, in the best case, regain and improve existing muscle functions. Powered exoskeletons have not developed in the real world as fast as they have in fiction , but currently, there are products that can help humans reduce their energy consumption by as much as 60 percent while carrying things. The earliest-known exoskeleton-like device
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#17327870330557384-458: Is to fight for power through the use of force. The suggestion of utopia is not explored in depth, as the lives of those outside the military are not shown in any detail. The novel suggests that the militarist philosophy espoused by many of the characters has a mathematical backing, though reviewers have commented that Heinlein does not present any basis for this. Writers such as Farmer, Robert A. W. Lowndes, and Michael Moorcock have criticized
7526-450: The Fast & Furious series and I Am Legend , announced plans for a remake of the film that he claims will be more faithful to the source material. In 2016 Mark Swift and Damian Shannon were reported to be writing the film. An animated TV series was also released is based both on the novel and 1997 film called Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles . It follows the exploits of
7668-647: The Albert Speer -style architecture and the propagandistic dialogue (" Violence is the supreme authority!" ). According to Verhoeven, the references to Nazism reflected his own experience in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. The film reignited the debate over the nature of the Terran society in Heinlein's world, and several critics accused Verhoeven of creating a fascist universe. Others, and Verhoeven himself, have stated that
7810-434: The Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, and was praised by reviewers for its scenes of training and combat and its visualization of a future military. It also became enormously controversial because of the political views it seemed to support. Reviewers were strongly critical of the book's intentional glorification of the military, an aspect described as propaganda and likened to recruitment . The novel's militarism, and
7952-469: The Rodger Young , with his father as his platoon sergeant. The platoon has been renamed "Rico's Roughnecks", and is about to participate in an attack on Klendathu. Commentators have written that Starship Troopers is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas. In particular, the discussion of political views
8094-646: The Science Fiction Handbook published in 2009 said that the novel provided "compelling images of a futuristic military" and that it raised important questions, even for those who disagree with its political ideology. However, it stated that the story was weak as a tale of an alien encounter, as it did not explore alien society in any detail, but presented the Arachnids as nameless and faceless creatures that wished to destroy humanity. Boucher, founder of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction , remarked in 1960 that Heinlein had "forgotten to insert
8236-481: The " Patrick Henry League " in an attempt to create support for the US nuclear testing program. Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views. Like many of Heinlein's books, Starship Troopers was completed in a few weeks. It was originally written as a juvenile novel for New York publishing house Scribner ; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by Scribner. The manuscript
8378-587: The 1950s. Commentators have argued that Heinlein's portrayal of aliens, as well as being a reference to 1950s communist countries, aims to "reinscribe the ideologies of America's mythic frontier history". The concept of the frontier includes a social-Darwinist argument of constantly fighting for survival, even at the expense of indigenous people or, in the case of Starship Troopers , of aliens. Heinlein suggests that without territorial expansion involving violent conquest of other races, humans would be destroyed. Scholar Jamie King has stated that Heinlein does not address
8520-468: The 1979 Nippon Sunrise anime series Mobile Suit Gundam were inspired by the powered armor from Starship Troopers . The 1988 Gainax OVA series Gunbuster has plot elements similar to Starship Troopers , depicting humanity arrayed against an alien military. Scholars have identified elements of Heinlein's influence in Ender's Game , by Orson Scott Card , as well. Hantke, in particular, compares
8662-414: The 1980s. The setting of the book is presented by Heinlein as utopian; its leaders are shown as good and wise, and the population as free and prosperous. Slusser wrote in 1987 that Starship Troopers depicts a world that is "hell for human beings", but nonetheless celebrates the ideology of its fictional society. The rulers are claimed to be the best in history, because they understand that human nature
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#17327870330558804-464: The 1990s, several years after Heinlein's death. The project was originally entitled Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine , and had been in production before the producers bought the rights to Starship Troopers . The film was directed by Paul Verhoeven (who found the book too boring to finish), and released in 1997. The screenplay, by Ed Neumeier , shared character names and some plot details with the novel. The film contained several elements that differed from
8946-421: The Federal Service after graduation; Rico is hesitant, partly due to his father's attitude towards the military. Rico makes his decision after discovering that his classmate Carmen Ibañez also intends to enlist. Rico's choice is taken poorly by his parents, and he leaves with a sense of estrangement. He is assigned to the Mobile Infantry, and moves to Camp Arthur Currie (named for Arthur Currie who rose through
9088-531: The Mobile Infantry squad, "Razak's Roughnecks", during the SICON–Bugs War between a newly united humanity and an extraterrestrial race, known as the " Bugs ," also sometimes referred to as Arachnids. The show focuses mainly on the Roughnecks' missions, rather than addressing the larger war. Paul Verhoeven served as an executive producer. The show ran for one season from August 1999 to April 2000. From October to December 1988, Sunrise and Bandai Visual produced
9230-452: The Roughnecks to the school Rico encounters his father who has also enlisted and is now a corporal, and the two reconcile. He is also visited in school by Carmen, now an ensign and ship's pilot officer in the Navy, and the two discuss their friend Carl, who had been killed earlier in the war. Rico is commissioned a temporary third lieutenant for his final test: a posting to a combat unit. Under
9372-543: The Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward. Writing in his 1980 volume Expanded Universe , Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy on April 5, 1958, calling for a unilateral suspension of nuclear weapons testing by the United States sparked his desire to write Starship Troopers . Heinlein and his wife Virginia created
9514-467: The Terran Federation could never be as idealistic as Heinlein portrays it to be because he never properly addressed "whether or not [non-citizens] have at least as full a measure of civil redress against official injustice as we have today". Farmer agreed, arguing that a "world ruled by veterans would be as mismanaged, graft-ridden, and insane as one ruled by men who had never gotten near the odor of blood and guts". Authors and commentators have stated that
9656-804: The Terran Federation's personnel wearing uniforms strongly reminiscent of those worn by the SS , the Nazi paramilitary. Verhoeven stated in 1997 that the first scene of the film – an advertisement for the Mobile Infantry ;– was adapted shot-for-shot from a scene in Leni Riefenstahl 's Triumph of the Will (1935), specifically an outdoor rally for the Reichsarbeitsdienst . Other references to Nazism include
9798-491: The US after World War II, and that it justified American imperialism in the name of fighting another form of imperialism. Jasper Goss has referred to it as " crypto-fascist ". Suvin compares Heinlein's suggestion that "all wars arise from population pressure" to the Nazi concept of Lebensraum or "living space" for a superior society that was used to justify territorial expansion. Some reviewers have suggested that Heinlein
9940-479: The US government was being too conciliatory in its dealings with communist China and the Soviet Union. Heinlein draws an analogy between the human society in the novel, which is well-to-do but needs to be vigilant against the imperialist threat of the Arachnids, and US society of the 1950s. Reviewers have suggested that the Arachnids are Heinlein's analogue for communists. Traits used to support this include
10082-518: The actors playing space marines to read Starship Troopers to understand their parts, and also cited it as an influence for the space drop, terms like "bug hunt", and the cargo-loader exoskeleton. Starship Troopers had a direct influence on many later science fiction stories. John Steakley 's 1984 novel Armor was, according to the author, born out of frustration with the small amount of actual combat in Starship Troopers and because he wanted this aspect developed further. The "Mobile Suits" from
10224-422: The actual contents of the book, Heinlein "is wrong on this point. Flatly so." Dennis Showalter , writing in 1975, defended Starship Troopers , stating that the society depicted in it did not contain many elements of fascism. He argues that the novel does not include outright opposition to Bolshevism and liberalism that would be expected in a fascist society. Others have responded by saying Showalter's argument
10366-403: The analysis and control of the human gait. Some of this work informed the development of modern high-performance humanoid robots. In 1972, an active exoskeleton for rehabilitation of paraplegics that was pneumatically powered and electronically programmed was tested at Belgrade Orthopedic Clinic. In 1985, an engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) proposed an exoskeleton called Pitman,
10508-573: The anti-war poem " Dulce et Decorum Est " by Wilfred Owen began a two-year discussion in the Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies from 1959 to 1961, with James Blish , Poul Anderson , Philip José Farmer , Anthony Boucher , John Brunner , Brian Aldiss , among those debating Starship Troopers ' s quality of writing, philosophy, and morality. The writing in Starship Troopers has received varied responses, with
10650-515: The army is always right". In discussing the book's utility in classroom discussions of the form of government, Alan Myers stated that its depiction of the military was of an "unashamedly Earth-chauvinist nature". In the words of science fiction scholar Darko Suvin , Starship Troopers was an "unsubtle but powerful black-and-white paean to combat life", and an example of agitprop in favor of military values. Other writers defended Heinlein. George Price argued that "[Heinlein] implies, first, that war
10792-614: The award itself". According to author Spider Robinson , Heinlein approached Haldeman at the awards banquet and said the book "may be the best future war story I've ever read!" Harry Harrison 's 1965 novel Bill, the Galactic Hero has also been described as a reaction to Starship Troopers , while Gordon R. Dickson 's 1961 novel Naked to the Stars has been called "an obvious rejoinder" to Starship Troopers . Ring of Swords , written by Eleanor Arnason in 1993, also depicts
10934-436: The backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an alien species known as "Arachnids" or "Bugs". Interspersed with the primary plot are classroom scenes in which Rico and others discuss philosophical and moral issues, including aspects of suffrage , civic virtue , juvenile delinquency , and war; these discussions have been described as expounding Heinlein's own political views. Starship Troopers has been identified with
11076-608: The battle room in Ender's Game to Heinlein's prosthetic suits, stating that they both regulate but also enhance human agency. Suvin suggests parallels between the plots of the two novels, with human society in both stories at war against insect-like aliens, but states that the story of Ender Wiggin takes a very different direction, as Ender regrets his genocidal actions and dedicates his efforts to protecting his erstwhile targets. Conversely, Joe Haldeman 's 1974 anti-war, Hugo - and Nebula -winning science fiction novel The Forever War
11218-482: The battlefield, aimed at decreasing fatigue and increasing productivity. For example, Lockheed Martin 's ONYX suit aims to support soldiers in performing tasks that are "knee-intensive", such as crossing difficult terrain. Leia Stirling 's group has identified that exoskeletons can reduce a soldier's response times. Exoskeletons are being developed to help firefighters and other rescue workers to climb stairs while carrying heavy equipment. Passive exoskeleton technology
11360-401: The book in 1986 as the "ultimately convincing space-war epic", praising in particular the "precisely imagined" weapons and tactics, while a 1979 science fiction encyclopedia referred to it as the "slickest" of Heinlein's juvenile books. Criticism of the style of the book has centered on its political aspects. Heinlein's discussions of his political beliefs were criticized as "didactic", and
11502-533: The book shared with other commercially successful science fiction. Some of Heinlein's other works have also been described as racist, though Franklin argues that this was not unique to Heinlein, and that he was less racist than the US government of the time. Heinlein's early novel Sixth Column was called a "racist paean" to a white resistance movement against an Asian horde derived from the Yellow Peril . In 1978, Moorcock wrote that Starship Troopers "set
11644-399: The book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy. Starship Troopers has been identified as being a part of a tradition in US science fiction that assumes that violent conflict and the militarization of society are inevitable and necessary. Although the Mobile Infantry, the unit to which Rico is assigned, is seen as a lowly post by the characters in the story,
11786-404: The book, including a military that is completely integrated with respect to sex. It had the stated intention of treating its material in an ironic or sarcastic manner, to undermine the political ideology of the novel. The mechanized suits that featured prominently in the novel were absent from the film, due to budget constraints. The film utilized fascist imagery throughout, including portraying
11928-429: The challenge of being lightweight, yet powerful. Technologies used include pneumatic activators, hydraulic cylinders, and electronic servomotors . Elastic actuators are being investigated to simulate control of stiffness in human limbs and provide touch perception. The air muscle , a.k.a. braided pneumatic actuator or McKibben air muscle, is also used to enhance tactile feedback. The flexibility of human anatomy
12070-403: The classroom lectures of Dubois, Rico's teacher for History and Moral Philosophy. Dubois praises flogging and other types of corporal punishment as a means of addressing juvenile crimes. It has been suggested that Heinlein endorsed this view, although the fact that Dubois also compares raising children to training a puppy has been used to argue that Heinlein was making use of irony . The story
12212-479: The communal nature of the Arachnids, which makes them capable of a much higher degree of coordination than the humans. Bug society is once explicitly described as communist, and is moreover depicted as communist by nature; this has been read as implying that those with a different political ideology are analogous to alien beings. The related motifs of alien invasion, patriotism, and personal sacrifice during war, are present, as are other aspects of US popular culture of
12354-435: The company has solved some of these issues related to battery technology, particularly consumption, reducing the amount of power required to operate its Guardian XO to under 500 watts (0.67 hp) and enabling its batteries to be "hot-swapped" without powering down the unit. Internal combustion engine offer high energy output, but problems include exhaust fumes, waste heat and inability to modulate power smoothly, as well as
12496-852: The concept of futuristic military armor. Other examples include Tony Stark 's Iron Man suit, the robot exoskeleton used by Ellen Ripley to fight the Xenomorph queen in Aliens , in Warhammer 40,000 the Space Marines , among other factions, are known to use different kinds of Power Armour, the Power Armor used in the Fallout video game franchise and the Exoskeleton from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Mechanical load Mechanical load
12638-546: The debate about the role of the military in society for many years. The novel has been credited with popularizing the idea of powered armor , which has since become a recurring feature in science fiction books and films, as well as an object of scientific research. Heinlein's depiction of a futuristic military was also influential. Later science fiction books, such as Joe Haldeman 's 1974 anti-war novel The Forever War , have been described as reactions to Starship Troopers . The story has been adapted several times, including in
12780-461: The energy required to perform a task. Individual variations in the nature, range and force of movements make it difficult for a standardized device to provide the appropriate amount of assistance at the right time. Algorithms to tune control parameters to automatically optimize the energy cost of walking are under development. Direct feedback between the human nervous system and motorized prosthetics ("neuro-embodied design") has also been implemented in
12922-434: The environment. For some applications, single-joint exoskeletons (i.e. intended to assist only the limb involved in specific tasks) are more appropriate than full-body powered suits. Full-body powered exoskeletons have been developed to assist with heavy loads in the industrial setting, and for specialized applications such as nuclear power plant maintenance. The biomechanical efficacy of exoskeletons in industrial applications
13064-449: The explicit message of the book. Science fiction writer Dean McLaughlin called it "a book-length recruiting poster". In 1968 science fiction critic Alexei Panshin called Starship Troopers a militaristic polemic and compared it to a recruiting film, stating that it "purports to show the life of a typical soldier, with a soundtrack commentary by earnest sincere Private Jones who interprets what we see for us." Panshin stated that there
13206-487: The extent that author Ken MacLeod has stated that "the political strand in [science fiction] can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein," although many participants in this dialogue disagree with Heinlein. Science fiction critic Darko Suvin states that Starship Troopers is the "ancestral text of US science fiction militarism " and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years. In addition to his political views, Heinlein's ideas about
13348-438: The fact that government service – most often military service – was a prerequisite to the right to vote in the novel's fictional society, led to it being frequently described as fascist . Others disagree, arguing that Heinlein was only exploring the idea of limiting the right to vote to a certain group of people. Heinlein's depiction of gender has also been questioned, while reviewers have said that
13490-490: The film was intended to be ironic , and to critique fascism. The film has also been described as criticizing the jingoism of US foreign policy, the military industrial complex , and the society in the film, which elevates violence over sensitivity. It received several negative critical reviews, reviewers suggesting that it was unsophisticated and targeted a juvenile audience, although some scholars and critics have also supported its description as satirical. The absence of
13632-470: The future, the book depicts an Earth ruled by a world government run by military veterans. The society is depicted as affluent, and futuristic technology shown as coexisting with educational methods from the 20th century. The rights of a full citizen, to vote and hold public office, are not universally guaranteed, and rather must be earned through Federal Service. Those who do not perform this service (of which only military service has been described) retain
13774-413: The latter end of the spectrum. It has been argued that Heinlein's militarism is more libertarian than fascist, and that this trend is also present in Heinlein's other popular books of the period, such as Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966). This period of Heinlein's writing has received more critical attention than any other, although he continued to write into
13916-425: The main protagonist Juan "Johnny" Rico, a member of the "Mobile Infantry". It is one of the few Heinlein novels which intersperses his typical linear narrative structure with a series of flashbacks. These flashbacks are frequently to Rico's "History and Moral Philosophy" course in school, in which the teacher discusses the history of the structure of their society. Rico is depicted as a man of Filipino ancestry . He
14058-415: The manner in which the extraterrestrial beings are portrayed in Starship Troopers has racist aspects, arguing that the nicknames "Bugs" and "Skinnies" carry racial overtones. John Brunner compared them to calling Koreans " gooks ". Slusser argued that the term "Bugs" was an "abusive and biologically inaccurate" word that justified the violence against alien beings, a tendency which, according to Slusser,
14200-402: The market often fail to give adequate consideration to safety aspects, in some cases despite claims to the contrary by their manufacturers. Powered exoskeletons are featured in science fiction books and media as the standard equipment for space marines , miners, astronauts and colonists. The science fiction novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959) is credited with introducing
14342-419: The military and approval of violence, to the extent that it has frequently been described as fascist , and its implication that militarism is superior to traditional democracy. Heinlein's peers were among those who argued over the book; a comparison between a quote in Starship Troopers that "the noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and war's desolation" and
14484-492: The military for jobs such as aircraft pilots, due to the problems of fitting seats and controls to very large and very small people. For soft exoskeletons, this is less of a problem. Exoskeletons can reduce the stress of manual labor, they may also pose dangers. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called for research to address the potential dangers and benefits of the technology, noting potential new risk factors for workers such as lack of mobility to avoid
14626-601: The military scenes compelling. Heinlein's descriptions of training and boot camp in the novel, based on his own experiences in the military, have been described as being rendered with remarkable skill. A 1960 review in the New York Herald Tribune praised the "brilliantly written" passages describing infantry combat, and also called attention to the discussion of weapons and armor, which, according to other reviewers, demonstrated Heinlein's "undiminished talent for invention". Scholar George Slusser described
14768-434: The novel " hard science fiction ", despite its social and political themes. The "moral decline" caused by this situation is depicted as having caused a global war between an alliance of the US, Britain, and Russia against the "Chinese Hegemony" in the year 1987. Despite the alliance between the US and Russia, this war has been described as demonstrating Heinlein's anti-communist beliefs, which saw "swarming hordes" of Chinese as
14910-426: The novel for being a hypothetical utopia, in the sense that while Heinlein's ideas sound plausible, they have never been put to the test. Moorcock wrote an essay entitled "Starship Stormtroopers" in which he attacked Heinlein and other writers over similar "Utopian fiction". Lowndes accused Heinlein of using straw man arguments, "countering ingenuous half-truths with brilliant half-truths". Lowndes further argued that
15052-474: The novel itself suggests that it is the heart of the army and the most honorable unit in it. In a commentary written in 1980, Heinlein agreed that Starship Troopers "glorifies the military ... Specifically the P.B.I., the Poor Bloody Infantry , the mudfoot who places his frail body between his loved home and the war's desolation – but is rarely appreciated ... he has
15194-402: The novel was derided for "exposition [that was] inserted in large indigestible chunks". Author Ken MacLeod 's 2003 analysis of the political nature of Starship Troopers stated that it was "a book where civics infodumps and accounts of brutal boot-camp training far outweigh the thin and tensionless combat scenes". Scientist and author Brunner compared it to a "Victorian children's book", while
15336-399: The novel, all of whom are men, have been described as an example of the "hyper-masculinity" brought on by the proximity of these men to technology. The story portrays the Arachnids as so alien that the only response to them can be war. Feminist scholars have described this reaction as a "conventionally masculinist" one. Steffen Hantke has described the mechanized suits in the novel, which make
15478-464: The novel, the military draft was still in effect in the US. The society within the book has frequently been described as fascist . According to the 2009 Science Fiction Handbook , it had the effect of giving Heinlein a reputation as a "fanatical warmongering fascist". Scholar Jeffrey Cass has referred to the setting of the book as "unremittingly grim fascism". He has stated that the novel made an analogy between its military conflict and those of
15620-410: The only ones who fight, and are unable to surrender in battle. It also is implied that the Bugs are technologically advanced, possessing such technologies as spaceships. The "Skinnies" are depicted as less communal than the Arachnids, yet more so than humans. The events of the novel take place during an interstellar war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids. At the opening of the story, Earth
15762-534: The only possible moral result would be warfare. The fact that all pilots in the novel are women (in contrast to the infantry, which is entirely male) has been cited as evidence of progressive gender politics within the story, although the idea expressed by Rico that women are the motivation for men to fight in the military is a counter-example to this. A 1996 science fiction encyclopedia said that like much of Heinlein's fiction, Starship Troopers exemplified "macho male culture". The prosthetically enhanced soldiers in
15904-691: The others, Heinlein firmly endorsed the anti-communist sentiment of the Cold War era in his writing. Heinlein served in the US Navy for five years after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1929. His experience in the military profoundly influenced his fiction. At some point between 1958 and 1959, Heinlein put aside the novel that would become Stranger in a Strange Land and wrote Starship Troopers . His motivation arose partially from his anger at US President Dwight Eisenhower 's decision to suspend US nuclear tests , and
16046-497: The patient's own activity to such an extent that the therapeutical mobilization can be successful. In addition powered exoskeletons can improve the quality of life of individuals who have lost the use of their legs by enabling system-assisted walking. Exoskeletons—that may be called "step rehabilitation robots"—may also help with the rehabilitation from stroke , spinal cord injury or during aging. Several prototype exoskeletons are under development. The Ekso GT, made by Ekso Bionics,
16188-482: The pattern for Heinlein's more ambitious paternalistic, xenophobic" stories. Robert Lowndes argues that the war between the Terrans and the Arachnids is not about a quest for racial purity, but rather an extension of Heinlein's belief that man is a wild animal. According to this theory, if man lacks a moral compass beyond the will to survive, and he was confronted by another species with a similar lack of morality, then
16330-673: The periodic need to replenish volatile fuels . Hydrogen cells have been used in some prototypes but also suffer from several safety problems. Early exoskeletons used inexpensive and easy-to-mold materials such as steel and aluminium alloy . However, steel is heavy and the powered exoskeleton must work harder to overcome its own weight, reducing efficiency. Aluminium alloys are lightweight, but fail through fatigue quickly. Fiberglass , carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes have considerably higher strength per weight. "Soft" exoskeletons that attach motors and control devices to flexible clothing are also under development. Joint actuators also face
16472-574: The power source. The Sarcos Guardian XO is now powered by lithium-ion batteries and is applicable for military logistics applications. In 2011, DARPA launched the Warrior Web program and has developed and funded several prototypes, including a "soft exosuit" developed by Harvard University 's Wyss Institute . In 2019, the US Army's TALOS exoskeleton project was put on hold. A variety of "slimmed-down" exoskeletons have been developed for use on
16614-516: The powered armor technology drew criticism from fans. The success of the film's endeavor to critique the ideology of the novel has been disputed. Four sequels, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004), Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008), Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012) and Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017) were released as straight-to-DVD films. In December 2011, Neal H. Moritz , producer of films such as
16756-553: The project was not successful. At about the same time, early active exoskeletons and humanoid robots were developed at the Mihajlo Pupin Institute in Yugoslavia by a team led by Prof. Miomir Vukobratović . Legged locomotion systems were developed first, with the goal of assisting in the rehabilitation of paraplegics. In the course of developing active exoskeletons, the Institute also developed theory to aid in
16898-441: The question of what the military government and Federal Service would do in peacetime, and argues that Heinlein has set up a society designed to be continuously at war, and to keep expanding its territory. Starship Troopers has been referred to as a bildungsroman or " coming-of-age " story for Rico, as he matures through his tenure in the infantry. His training, both at boot camp and at officer candidate school, involves learning
17040-467: The ranks to general in World War I ) on the Canadian prairie for his training under Sergeant Charles Zim. The training is extremely demanding. Rico receives combat training of all types, including simulated fights in armored suits. A fellow recruit is court-martialed, flogged, and dismissed for striking a drill instructor who was also his company commander. Rico himself is given five lashes for firing
17182-555: The rights of free speech and assembly, but can neither vote nor hold public office. Those of either sex, above the age of 18, are permitted to enlist; only those who complete their service receive the right to vote. Important government jobs are reserved for federal service veterans. This structure arose ad hoc after the collapse of the "20th century Western democracies", driven in part by an inability to control crime and juvenile delinquency , particularly in North America, and
17324-502: The scenes of military training and combat receiving praise. In a 2009 retrospective, science-fiction writer Jo Walton wrote that Starship Troopers was "military SF done extremely well". She went on to argue that "Heinlein was absolutely at his peak when he wrote this in 1959. He had so much technical stylistic mastery of the craft of writing science fiction that he could [tell the story] ' backwards and in high heels ' and get away with it." Others referred to it as very readable, and found
17466-604: The situation; Rico's mother is killed in the attack. Rico participates in the Battle of Klendathu, an attack on the Arachnid's home world, which turns into a disastrous defeat for the Terran Federation. Rico's ship, the Valley Forge , is destroyed, and his unit is decimated; he is reassigned to the Roughnecks on board the Rodger Young, led by Lieutenant Rasczak and Sergeant Jelal. The unit carries out several raids, and Rico
17608-476: The soldiers in suits are dropped from spaceships piloted by women. Though Rico says he finds women "marvelous", he shows no desire for sexual activity; the war seems to have subsumed sex in this respect. A 1979 summary argued that despite the gestures towards women's equality, women in the story were still objects, to be protected, and to fight wars over. Heinlein's books, and Starship Troopers in particular, had an enormous impact on political science fiction, to
17750-402: The source of the idea of powered armor exoskeletons , which Heinlein describes in great detail. Such suits became a staple of military science fiction. Franchises that have employed this technology include Iron Man , Exo Squad , Halo , District 9 , Elysium , and Edge of Tomorrow . During the shooting of the science fiction film Aliens , director James Cameron required
17892-517: The structural components, such as textiles. The action category describes the type of help the exoskeleton gives the user. Active exoskeletons provide “active” aid to the user, from an external source, without the user needing to apply energy. Passive exoskeletons need the user to perform the movement to work, and merely facilitate it. Hybrid systems provide a mix of active and passive. Powered technologies are further separated into electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic actuators. The exoskeleton’s purpose
18034-556: The supply of aids if the structural and functional properties of the neuromuscular and skeletal system are too limited to be able to achieve mobilization with an orthosis , which is only capable of helping the recovery of muscle work. In patients with complete paraplegia (ASIA A) , exoskeletons are interesting as an alternative to an orthosis under this criterion for lesion heights above the thoracic vertebra (T12). In patients with incomplete paraplegia (ASIA B-D) , orthotics are even suitable for lesion heights above T12 in order to promote
18176-441: The tenth time for lack of anything else to do." Literature scholar George Slusser, in describing the novel as "wrong-headed and retrogressive", argued that calling its ideology militarism or imperialism was inadequate, as these descriptions suggested an economic motive. Slusser instead says that Heinlein advocates for a complete "technological subjugation of nature", of which the Arachnids are a symbol, and that this subjugation itself
18318-440: The terms used to describe the aliens were akin to racial epithets . Despite the controversy, Starship Troopers had wide influence both within and outside science fiction. Ken MacLeod stated that "the political strand in [science fiction] can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein". Science fiction critic Darko Suvin wrote that Starship Troopers is the "ancestral text of US science fiction militarism" and that it shaped
18460-474: The things required of him in military training without undue difficulty. Dubois also ridicules the idea of inalienable rights , such as " Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness ", arguing that people have only the rights that they are willing to fight and die for to protect. The novel appeals to scientific authority to justify this position; Dubois repeatedly states that his argument is mathematically demonstrable, statements which have led scholars to label
18602-407: The toughest job of all and should be honored." The story is based on the social Darwinist idea of society as a struggle for survival based on military strength. It suggests that some conflicts must be resolved by force: one of the lessons Rico is repeatedly taught is that violence can be an effective method of settling conflict. These suggestions derive in part from Heinlein's view that in the 1950s
18744-480: The tutelage of his company commander, Captain Blackstone, and with the aid of his platoon sergeant, his boot camp drill instructor Fleet Sergeant Zim, Rico commands a platoon during "Operation Royalty," a raid to capture members of the Arachnid brain caste and queens. Rico then returns to the officer school to graduate. The novel ends with him holding the rank of second lieutenant, in command of his old platoon in
18886-455: The user's shoulder , waist , back and thigh against overload , and stabilizes movements when lifting and holding heavy items. A powered exoskeleton differs from traditional body armor, or a passive exoskeleton , which provides mechanical benefits and protection, but has no actuator , and so relies completely on the user's own muscles for movements, adding more stress and making the user more prone to fatigue . The lack of "power assist"
19028-403: The value of militarism , thus inviting the reader to learn it as well. This is especially true of the parts of his training that involve indoctrination, such as the claim by one of his instructors that rule by military veterans is the ideal form of government, because only they understand how to put collective well-being above the individual. The story traces Rico's transformation from a boy into
19170-512: The wearer resemble a "steel gorilla," as defining masculinity as "something intensely physical, based on animal power, instinct, and aggression". He calls this form of masculinity "all body, so to speak, and no brain". Thus, in Hantke's reading, Starship Troopers expresses fears of how masculinity may be preserved in an environment of high technology. This fear is exacerbated by the motifs of pregnancy and birth that Heinlein uses when describing how
19312-494: Was able to supplement human power with external power. Robert A. Heinlein 's 1959 science fiction novel Starship Troopers introduced powered military armor to popular culture, soon followed by Tony Stark 's Iron Man suit. In the 1960s, the first true 'mobile machines' integrated with human movements began to appear. A suit called Hardiman was co-developed by General Electric and the US Armed Forces . The suit
19454-414: Was an apparatus for assisting movement developed in 1890 by Russian engineer Nicholas Yagin. It used energy stored in compressed gas bags to assist in movement, although it was passive and required human power. In 1917, United States inventor Leslie C. Kelley developed what he called a pedomotor, which operated on steam power with artificial ligaments acting in parallel to the wearer's movements. This system
19596-504: Was no "sustained human conflict" in the book: instead, "All the soldiers we see are tough, smart, competent, cleancut, clean-shaven, and noble." Panshin, a veteran of the peacetime military, argued that Heinlein glossed over the reality of military life, and that the Terran Federation-Arachnid conflict existed simply because, "Starship troopers are not half so glorious sitting on their butts polishing their weapons for
19738-424: Was once a lieutenant colonel in the Mobile Infantry, which gives Rico the motivation not to resign. After further training at another camp near Vancouver , Rico graduates with 187 others, of the 2,009 who had begun training in that regiment. The "Bug War" has changed from minor incidents to a full-scale war during Rico's training. An Arachnid attack that annihilates the city of Buenos Aires alerts civilians to
19880-406: Was powered by hydraulics and electricity and amplified the wearer's strength by a factor of 25, so that lifting 110 kilograms (240 lb) would feel like lifting 4.5 kilograms (10 lb). A feature called force feedback enabled the wearer to feel the forces and objects being manipulated. The Hardiman had major limitations, including its 680-kilogram (1,500 lb) weight. It was also designed as
20022-474: Was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with the publisher completely, and resume writing books with adult themes. Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly its treatment of military conflict. The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction first published Starship Troopers in October and November 1959 as
20164-438: Was simply discussing the merits of a selective versus a nonselective franchise. Heinlein made a similar claim, over two decades after Starship Troopers' s publication, in his Expanded Universe and further claimed that 95 percent of "veterans" were not military personnel but members of the civil service. Heinlein's own description has been disputed, even among the book's defenders. Heinlein scholar James Gifford has argued that
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