Big Daddy and Iron Man combine to form deep sea diving suit

After the unforgiving vacuum of space, the crushing pressures of the deep sea are the most perilous location to undertake scientific research. For decades researchers have been hampered by the need for small, inefficient submersibles, but that’s starting to change now that the Exosuit is ready for use. This six-and-a-half foot tall, 530-pound aluminum suit looks like something designed for use by astronauts, but it’s actually perfect for ocean exploration.
The idea of pressurized diving suits is more than 100 years old, but they could never get deep enough to compete with submarines — older diving suits were also incredibly awkward and prone to failure. The Exosuit (it’s actually an “atmospheric diving system”) aims to make the wearer capable of manipulating tools while at depths up to one kilometer.

There are 18 rotary joints throughout the Exosuit (highlighted in red) that allow the human occupant to move in a somewhat normal fashion. When submerged in water the limbs are remarkably easy to move — the diver could even swim by moving his or her arms and legs, but the suit comes equipped with four 1.6 horsepower thrusters that propel it through the water. This is by far the most limber deep diving suit that has ever ben created. The Exosuit is tethered to a boat on the surface when in use, but its internal battery packs are able to keep the occupant alive for up to 50 hours underwater if something goes awry.

Scientists are planning to use the Exosuit to study bioluminescent fish deep in the ocean, but it will be slow going. There is only one Exosuit in existence, owned by contracting company J.F. White. The $600,000 diving apparatus was completed in 2012 and has been used in a limited fashion on some commercial jobs, and is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History through March 5th. The Exosuit’s scientific debut happens this summer off the coast of New England.

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