Troy Hurtubise, the Hamilton-born inventor who became famous for his bulky bear-protection suit by standing in front of a moving vehicle to prove it worked, has now created a much slimmer suit that he hopes will soon be protecting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
He has spent two years and $15,000 in the lab out back of his house in North Bay, designing and building a practical, lightweight and affordable shell to stave off bullets, explosives, knives and clubs. He calls it the Trojan and describes it as the "first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour."
Using the hard-learned lessons of his Project Grizzly experience -- a 20-year odyssey that included a National Film Board documentary, an appearance on CNN and personal bankruptcy -- he's ready to start selling his newest idea.
Already, he says, the suit has stood up to bullets from high-powered weapons, including an elephant gun. The suit was empty during the ballistics tests, but he's more than ready to put it on and face live fire.
"I would do it in an instant," he said. "Bring it on."
...
The whole suit -- which draws design inspiration from Star Wars, RoboCop, Batman and video games -- is made from high-impact plastic lined with ceramic bullet protection over ballistic foam.
Its many features include compartments for emergency morphine and salt, a knife and emergency light. Built into the forearms are a small recording device, a pepper-spray gun and a detachable transponder that can be swallowed in case of trouble.
Dangling between the legs, that would be a clock. [Ed: Clever...]
In the helmet, there's a solar-powered fresh-air system and a drinking tube attached to a canteen in the small of the back. A laser pointer mounted in the middle of the forehead is ready to point to snipers, while LED lights frame the face.
The whole suit comes in at 18 kilograms. It covers everything but the fingertips and the major joints, and could be mass-produced for about $2,000, Hurtubise says.
Awesome. You only read about stuff like this in sci-fi novels, but this guy is going to rule the world some day. That or sending letter bombs from his home in rural Montana...one or the other...
Hat-tip: Slashdot.
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Even with the solar powered fresh air system I'm betting that thing would cook it's wearer if out in the Iraqi (or maybe soon to be Iranian) heat.
It looks like this guy went to the recycling center with a blow torch...
Myers just called it a batman suit. But isn't it obviously from Halo?
It's probably easier to go back to kindergarden, learn to share and hold hands when crossing the street.
"[The suit] draws design inspiration from... RoboCop...."
More than a little ironic that a social satire (one that plays the 'little guy' against the capitalist-criminal, military-industrial complex) inspires... ah-hem, the real world (well, there's an appropriately Reaganite fact-fiction fusion).
"[The suit] could be mass-produced for about $2,000."
Clearly he does not understand the inflationary forces in military spending. By the time the bidding war is over, R&D carried out to test out ideas that were dead ends to start with, testing that fudged results, we'll be ready to recite the line from Batman Begins: "Bean Counters didn't think a soldiers life was worth 300 grand."
Yeah, sure - there's plenty of evidence that the armed forces of both countries are willing to spend whatever it takes to make sure their forces have the best possible armour and equipment.
Oops, sorry - I must've slipped into an alternative reality there for a minute...
Bullet proof Fremen Still Suit? Great for riding giant sand worms in the desert.
The guy's an idiot. "Project Grizzly" proved it. Next we'll be seeing him in the news trying to get into the Guinness book by walking around for five years with a dime superglued to his forehead.
Not as impressive as his other invention - a ray that lets you see through walls!
http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=6657
Ray gun update! I guess Troy broke its wall-seeing-through powers, but now it cures cancer:
http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=8267
Uh, am I the only one who see's a serious flaw in this?
That's the slimmer version?
I have seen the future!
i think the majority of you are retards this guy is a genius and i wanna know what you have done with your meak lives.
this suit is unbeleiveable the only reason it cost so much for him to produce was because he had much testing to do and he had to pick up all the parts himself witch would be much more difficult and costly than it would be for the government. these people who are making fun of the laser clearly do not understand what it is. it is basically a laser designator in the head.
YOU GUYS ARE JUST JEALOUS THAT YOU CANT BE BULLET PROOF OR GET HIT BY A CAR!!
p.s. you guys stink like old brown doggy doo
I can't believe the guy that called him an idiot. Chris got it right--you guys are jealous that this guy is actually accomplishing something while you sit around, play on the Internet posting idiotic responses to excellent articles, and generally waste your lives. This guy is what you call a man. He had an idea, he put forth the effort and worked his ass off at it, and now he has something to show for it. Good for Troy. Bad for you. Now go do something constructive, lazy good-for-nothing.
I agree with Ronald and Chris. Troy Hurtubise is perhaps among the most brilliant men alive. He's created an inexpensive balistic suit of armor that will some day save countless lives. It could be the greatest military tool yet.