The science fiction of wearable exoskeletons that enhance human abilities – made popular by the movie Aliens and, more recently, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – isn’t as far away as you might imagine.

But they’re more likely to help factory workers than they are to aid soldiers in leaping about the battlefield. At least, for now.

According to a report on Mashable, a company in Europe called Robo-Mate has shown off a working exoskeleton that gives the wearer super strength, enabling them to lift a 10kg weight like it’s just 1kg.

The Robo-Mate will allow factory workers to handle the physical requirements of their jobs more easily and will also mean fewer strained muscles – as well as less absenteeism due to back injuries – in the long term.

The company is also reportedly working on exoskeletons that enhance the strength of the human body’s middle and lower extremities, but these remain under wraps.

Perhaps the best news is that the Robo-Mate is due to be available in 2016.

Check out the video Robo-Mate put out of someone wearing a prototype of the exoskeleton; they don’t lift anything impressive (and they speak German, sorry!), but you’ll get a good idea of what it looks like and how it will work.

[Source – Mashable, Image – Robo-Mate]