Unmanned missions and robots may be dominating the space corridor for the moment, but that doesn't mean that NASA has given up on the idea of putting people in space. To that end, NASA has unveiled a new robotic exoskeleton for astronauts called the XI.

The 57-pound device is designed to help astronauts exercise mor effectively, an essential component of living in space that helps to maintain muscle and bone strength for the eventual trip back to Earth's gravity environment. The XI was designed in conjunction with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) as an offshoot of the research and development that went into NASA's Robonaut.

Providing 10 degrees of movement via four motorized joints at the hips and the knees, NASA believes the device could also be used in the future to assist astronauts working on the surfaces of distant planets. At this point the X1 is still in beta test mode, but you can see it in action in the video below.

Via NASA