The Exosuit could easily be mistaken as one of Iron Man's early prototypes. It weighs 530 pounds and stands at 6.5 feet tall. This summer, scientists will begin using this to study the seas. The deep seas.

The Exosuit is capable of reaching depths of 1,000 feet. It can actually keep its human pilot safe and breathing up to 50 hours at a time. Thanks to its 18 ruby-red rotary joints, the suit is maneuverable enough to let divers swim about under their own power.

There's also onboard maneuvering thrusters to get you where you're going if you're not up for swimming in the blackness of the deep ocean.

The Exosuit's pilot, Michael Lombardi, will be the first to don the suit, and in an effort to study the bio-luminescent fish that dwell the deep sea, Lombardi will sweep the sea for fish. The hope is to discern the unique patterns of light different species of fish use to identify one another in the dark.

Check out more pictures of the suit in the gallery below:



[American Museum of Natural History and Nuytco Research, via The Verge]