US Army chiefs are developing an Iron Man-style suit to give troops 'superhuman strength'.
When made, the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) is set to be bulletproof and give the wearer enhanced strength.
Scientists want the suit to incorporate some kind of weapon along with a display giving information about the soldier's surroundings and vital signs.
Last but not least, the suit should be able to heal wounds by temporarily stopping bleeding.
Lt Col Karl Borjes, a science adviser at the US Army's research, development and engineering command described the technology as a 'combat armour suit'.
He said: "The requirement is a comprehensive family of systems in a combat armour suit where we bring together an exoskeleton with innovative armour, displays for power monitoring, health monitoring, and integrating a weapon into that."
According to US Army Sgt Maj Chris Faris, "no one industry can build it", so they are calling on private organisations outside of the government labs.
An MIT team is currently developing liquid body armour - made from fluids that transform into a solid when a magnetic field or electrical current is applied.
MIT professor Gareth McKinley compared the futuristic armour to Tony Stark's famous Iron Man suit.
He said: "It sounds exactly like Iron Man.
"The other kind of things that you see in the movies... would be the kind of external suit that Sigourney Weaver wears in Aliens, where it's a large robot that amplifies the motions and lifting capability of a human."
It is expected that a working prototype will be ready next year, and a more advanced version could be available by 2016.
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