SpiderSense Suit Delivers Superhuman Perception

Zothecula writes "In the Spider-Man comics and movies, the famous hero's 'Spider Sense' warns him of incoming danger, which proves to be just as important a superpower as slinging webs and climbing walls. Now a group of researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago may have found a way to replicate such superhuman perception that doesn't involve any radioactive spiders. Using a collection of sensors placed all over the body, the group has designed a 'SpiderSense' suit that detects objects in the environment and warns the wearer when anything gets too close."

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[Anonymous Coward]

Technically speaking, not all human units come with this particular type of technology, and some have degraded or damaged systems. So those with a disabilities in this type of technological implementation might find these suits useful.

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[ameen.ross]

I always suspected that Laurens Barnes was actually a cripple.

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[Anonymous Coward]

"The way it works is that if an object comes too close it triggers and electrical shock in the area to cause a searing and crippling pain."

Your ex-girlfriend has a Taser and she's not afraid to use it?

4th Augmented Human International Conference

[schneidafunk]

"Mateevitsi presented the suit just last week at the 4th Augmented Human International Conference in Stuttgart, Germany." Wow, this is the first I've heard of this conference. I had to look it up, http://www.augmented-human.com/ [augmented-human.com]

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[wonkey_monkey]

They don't want us "meaties" cramping their style.

What about Al Gore Spider-Goat sense:

[Tablizer]

It may not be a b-a-a-a-a-a-a-d idea:

http://science.slashdot.org/story/13/03/11/0038210/sxsw-al-gore-talks-surveillance-culture-spider-goats [slashdot.org]

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[tehcyder]

"Goat sense"? Why does that name send jeebies up my spine?

It's down past your spine you have to worry about.

Peril-Sensitive

[O-Deka-K]

"...and warns the wearer when anything gets too close."

Does it do so by turning the wearer's sunglasses completely black?

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[Ol Biscuitbarrel]

Happy birthday, Douglas Adams, and RIP.

LOOK OUT

[Antipater]

There's a fork-shaped object approaching [user]'s face and mouth, topped with heat-treated biological tissue! Engaging chemical/biological warfare protection mode!

360 degrees

[neorush]

I also thought something like this would be really awesome once you got used to it. Ever since I read 'Have Spacesuit Will Travel' when I was a kid, I have been waiting for someone to develop 360 degree wearable vision. I have always wondered how long it would take for you to start seeing in 360 degrees. I'd imagine if you were blind, this suit could be awesome.

But where's the fun in that?

[Anonymous Coward]

No radioactive spiders needed? Where's the fun in that?

What good is a spider-sense if I don't have the increased spider-reflexes to take advantage of it? And the freestyle wall climbing is an awesome perk of the process too. I'll pass on the web slinging if it's the mechanical style where I have to build a device to shoot web for me. If it's an included part of the spider bite and organic, then that's just icing on the cake.

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[plover]

Tell you what. You go and get yourself bit by a radioactive spider, then come back and tell us how that worked out for you in terms of "fun".

Danger Will Robinson....

[TekWare]

You are about to be hit by a ... nevermind. It was a bullet. Will?

Don't we have this?

[Nidi62]

the group has designed a 'SpiderSense' suit that detects objects in the environment and warns the wearer when anything gets too close.

So....eyes?

Are you baiting us?

[OpenSourced]

as important a superpower as slinging webs

That's pure trolling, baiting us to come shouting that the webs of Spiderman ain't no superpower, but a device. I for one won't fall into the trap. At least I won't shout.

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[kannibal_klown]

Well at one point in the comics, Spidey underwent a metamorphosis and gained organic web shooters and stingers. However after "A Brand New Day" something changed and he has mechanic ones again; but still remembers having organic ones (as he comments using them a lot required a lot of replenishing fluids + protein).

However, now that Kaine is revived as a new Scarlet Spider he has Organic web shooters and spider stingers again, as did the millions of people infected during the Spider Island arc.

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[MisterSquid]

Well at one point in the comics, Spidey underwent a metamorphosis and gained organic web shooters and stingers. However after "A Brand New Day" something changed and he has mechanic ones again; but still remembers having organic ones (as he comments using them a lot required a lot of replenishing fluids + protein).

You may want to consult Scientifically Accurate Spider-Man [devour.com] about "web shooters," "stingers", and "replenishing fluids + protein". (Hint: You might not want to be scientifically-accurate Spider-Man if you're still *ahem* maiden.)

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[kannibal_klown]

God, I wasn't talking about the scientific accuracy of Spider-Man.

Just the grandparent (or great-grandparent, whatever) discussing webshooters as a device and not a power. I replied saying, at one point they decided to MAKE it a power. And to some younger generations, that's what they were introduced to growing up (not me, I'm too old)

I didn't bother launching that link, but I recall talks in my HS physics class (my professor liked to point out absurdity in comicbook characters) about swinging momentum an

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[TheLink]

Makes more sense to be a power than a device.

Peter Parker could have become a very rich man by just by licensing his webshooter technology.

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[Culture20]

According to MSH, it's a technology-based super power. Magic/Genetics/Technology/Psychic, the source doesn't matter in Marvel as much as the effect (unless you're talking about the social aspects; Mutants being the obvious case).

Sure, trolling in the summary, but anyway

[nedlohs]

Slinging webs is not a damn superpower - it's just technology. Being able to use them to swing through a city without regularly crashing is another story, but that story is the damn spider-sense anyway!

Nope, that's Iron Man's sensors

[Culture20]

Spider-Man's spider sense is psychically/mystically based (he can sense if a hidden sniper a mile away is pointing a gun at him). This is more like Iron Man's armor sensors, which have danger detection systems too. /nerd

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[twosat]

My uncle who is a well-known hunter in New Zealand thinks that animals have a sense like that. He told me that he would often have animals that were lined up in his gunscope suddenly glance towards him and bolt away. He claims that since he started thinking "Bless you" when he squeezes the trigger, that the animals are much less flighty.

Oblig. Deadpool

[hal2814]

My common sense is tingling.

Distance isn't the important part, it's trajectory

[Joshua Fan]

The suit's controller package needs to calculate over several measurements if objects are getting closer to you before issuing a warning. Then the article's example of walking between library bookshelves being problematic wouldn't be anymore. Bonus points if it also accounts for the relative direction and size of projectiles to determine if there truly will be a collision or not.

Do they have a *common* sense tingler?

[gestalt_n_pepper]

I'd pay extra to have that installed in certain select friends and acquaintances.