Transformers: The Movie came out in 1986, the same year I was born. We were destined to be together. Ever since I apparently stole Lee McReynold’s videotape of the movie when I was a toddler (sorry Lee!), we could not be parted. The video actually wore out, but not before I learned the movie word-for-word. One of my favorite parts was always when Stan Bush belted out Dare with Bumblebee, Daniel and Kup fling down the mountain to take out the Decepticons. damn, I love that movie.
Later in the movie Daniel tries to save his Dad and wears a suit which not only allows him to jump higher and further but also transforms him into a car. While I really hope Megatron never exists and goes berserk on Earth, I’ve been holding out for the moment I can become a real Transformer in the same way as Daniel did, with a transforming exoskeleton. While it may not turn you into a car, the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory have created a wearable robotic exoskeleton which allows the wearer to lift 110lbs in each hand.
If you don’t think this is awesome, you can try lift the debris of a collapsed building in Bangladesh which is trapping sweat shop workers. Emergency situations are one of the main reasons advances like this are being pursued. I suspect the idea of creating real working technology akin to the machines from Alien or creating the first real Transformer suit is also a big influence. Let’s just stay away from anything resembling Unicron.