Kerala: An engineering student from Kerala has successfully created a functional robotic suit with a small budget.

Vimal Govin Manikandan from MES College of Engineering in Kerala was able to build the battery-powered Iron Man suit capable of lifting as much as 300 pounds but costs as much as an iPhone 6s Plus. Manikandan is confident that the suit will be put to good use by the military in the future for lifting weights up to 150 kgs.

He along with his team presented their creation at the American Society of Research’s recent conference on Mechanics and Manufacturing, and a paper from the developers is published in July’s International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics. Manikandan’s project was selected from amongst applicants belonging to 13 countries for a special conference on mechanics and manufacturing in Singapore.

Currently, Manikandan and his team are working on improving their prototype, with an immediate focus on making it easier to walk quickly while using it. He is confident that his invention will only develop for the better if he manages to find the right sponsors.