Science fiction is often born out of a desire to create something that doesn't exist in our world, but every now and then the process is reversed and scientists turn a bit of fiction into reality. I present to you Activelink's Dual-Arm Power Amplification Robot (video after the jump), a mechanized, force-feedback suit powered by 18 electromagnetic motors that a person climbs inside to operate. Capable of enabling its operator to lift in excess of 220lbs, the bot is being designed for construction work, though once it's up and running it'll feature interchangeable parts that will adapt it to a host of other scenarios from warehouse work to disaster relief to saving Zion from hordes of robotic, flying squids.

And if you're assuming that it's coincidental how much Activelink's DAPAR is conceptually similar to the power-suit Sigourney Weaver uses to shove the xenomorph queen out of the airlock at the end of Aliens, you should know that the scientists building it do lovingly refer to it as the Power Loader. It's not just a good sense of humor either, Activelink's chief engineer recognizes the idea popularized in James Cameron's film that robots shouldn't inherently be autonomous:

"Most robot researchers think that robots should move as automatically as possible with very little human instruction. ... What we are developing is a robot which moves only when an instruction is given from a human and moves exactly according to that instruction."

That means this badass piece of hardware isn't going to be fighting against us in the inevitable robowars of the future. Speaking of which, I know making it easier to lift rubble off of people is the altruistic goal here, and that Activelink have no plans on modifying their Power Loader for combat, but I'm just saying, if they slapped a minigun or two on those arms, I think they could pass as a Mech from The Matrix Revolutions and totally steal first place in Cinematical's Fifth Annual Halloween Costume Contest.