December 1914: Armour all at sea

Resembling something from the mind of a slightly unhinged illustrator of the golden age of science fiction, it could be one of those endearingly blobby robots that threatened square-jawed heroes in 1950s B-movies. But, in fact, it’s an early incarnation of an armoured suit to allow divers to work at great depths on salvage projects without having to undergo lengthy decompression and protecting them  from the crushing pressure of deep water.

Designed by US inventor Chester E McDuffee, the suit was made from what is described as “an aluminium alloy of great strength, the composition being a trade secret”. It weighed a total of 480lb when empty, but because of its displacement was extremely buoyant, and required an additional 115lb of lead in order to make it sink. Characterised by very large barrel-shaped hinges at the waist, knees, ankles and elbows, the suit looked extremely cumbersome but, according to The Engineer, allowed the user a great deal of movement while underwater. “The operators have declared that they were not hampered in walking freely on the bottom or in bending or moving their arms,” the article said.