Anyone Ever Made a Front-Opening Iron Man Suit?

I suppose the title speaks for itself: Has anyone ever made an Iron Man suit that opens up at the front - like the suits in the third film or the Mark 47 in Homecoming?


If not, how possible is this? I’m not talking motors and servos to open the suit up and then close it up around you again, but if all the parts were made as separate front and back halves that are joined with hinges?

We already saw a similar mechanism in action with the prototype flight stabilisers:


Add the red/gold armour plates and you’re already more than halfway there for the arms and legs. Not only that, but it’s gotta make suiting up a lot faster? You just open it up, step inside and close everything back up again.

Okay, so this thread went from me asking whether anyone had ever done this before to me wanting to go ahead and do it myself! [emoji3]

So has anyone ever attempting anything like this? Or am I missing something that makes it seem a lot more achievable in my head?

you bring up an interesting question/project. While I don't think anything is impossible especially in this community I do think it would be hard to create a suit that opens in the front that fits around your body snug like most of the armors just because of the real estate involved on the smaller suits. Suits like the Hulkbuster, Peacekeeper, Red Snapper, Igor, and Hammerhead might be a better suit to experiment on because they are bulkier than the human body with more places to hide servos and what not. You'd also need to design it to open and close and be able to have full mobility as well. However I too am working on a similar project, years ago I sketched up a Mark V suit because I thought the suitcase suit was badass--however I had neither the time nor money to dump into that project which something like this would cost a lot in componentry.


So I guess the question would be is how much time and money would you be willing to dump into a project like this--my advice would be to start small and work up to bigger things. For example I want to build a few suits but I cannot work on them simultaneously and I do not possess the coding/electrical knowledge yet to achieve my desired effects, so I came up with a plan to tackle the projects like the first movie--build the scrap pile suit and get basic movement in joints figured out (foam build), then do the Mark 1.5 (under tech) and hone my 3D printing/design skills, then once I get that create the mark 2/3 so I have the outer shells to play with (which will have to have parts move like the back flaps and what not) then from there revisit my Mark V idea, and then take those systems and apply them to any other suit I'd like to build. It will take time but I love this hobby as it teaches me a lot and you always learn something cool.


Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread cause if you tackle this project I look forward to collaborating with you and seeing what you come up with. maybe if enough heads get together on here we can all make it a possibility. Good luck!

Ryan Brooks? (TheRealTonyStark) did a suitcase variant many many years ago.. (its on YouTube I believe)

I’ve thought about this too, it seems doable but the problems starts for me with keeping the suit flexible with a bunch of magnets and hinges all over also getting pieces like legs and arms attached to the torso when you step out of the suit (ideally at least in my mind you’d want the suit still standing when you step out of it like in the movies) it would be awesome to see someone try this though and really make it work

IronDan27 said:

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Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread cause if you tackle this project I look forward to collaborating with you and seeing what you come up with. maybe if enough heads get together on here we can all make it a possibility. Good luck!

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No need to apologise! I think it’s great to be able to bounce ideas back and forth, especially since you seem to be heading in a similar direction to me. I’d totally be up for collaborating and sharing ideas - the Mark 5 is also something I’d like to work on in the future; that suit has always been one of my favourites but I told myself the only way I’d ever build it is if I could figure out the suitcase mechanism (maybe not as small and compact as in the movie, but a suitcase nonetheless. In fact, I think I have some basic concept drawings I did a few years ago if you’re interested?

At the moment I have absolutely no experience with electronics, so I’d definitely be tackling this in small stages. I’m starting with my Mark 42 gauntlet/boot (incorporating the Mark 1.5 under tech), then working my way up to a full under suit which includes the front-opening/closing mechanism. I was thinking the biceps, forearms, thighs and shins all open with hinges on one side, then clip together around my body. (Basically this would involve the same way of opening as the Mark 1.5, but on the legs as well as the arms.) The abs and chest would then split into two halves and move to the sides - just like the suits in the movie.
At the moment I’m just struggling to figure out how the neck and codpiece would open. Does any of that make sense? I can picture the whole set-up in my head but it’s kind of difficult to get down on paper.

My plan is to prototype the front-opening mechanism on the undersuit, then build a set of armour plates that attach onto this using magnets (so essentially the entire system would be modular and can be switched out for other suits whenever I feel like it.) Once I figure out everything else - the hinges, joints, attaching parts together, etc. - then I’d focus on adding the servos to “automate” the opening/closing mechanism. So I’m not planning on working with servos just yet; for now I just want to build a ‘functional’ opening mechanism.

The idea is if I can tackle this without using motors (at least for the time being) it should be easier to incorporate into one of the slimmer suits - I’m thinking perhaps the Mark 9 to begin with, but hopefully the mechanism will work with any model.

xl97: Of course! I remember seeing that video a couple of years ago. IronDan, maybe this will be of some help for planning your Mark 5 project? https://youtu.be/1qvBVodU8QU

305primus: That’s what I was thinking. One of my main priorities for this project (aside from the front-opening mechanism) is to have the suit stand up on its own using magnets - eliminating the need for a mannequin to store/display the suit, as well as making it easier to put on and take off.

Yeah if I ever dive into this project too (which I’m definitely considering since other people are also into this) that is what I’ll focus on too and making it as slim as possible which I feel would be easiest to achieve with the previously mentioned magnet/hinge method

and I absolutely love the idea of making the outer armor plating interchangeable so you could have any suit open up


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I have also thought of this and it does seem simple enough....in theory this video might give you some idea https://youtu.be/eQPU8P9RKSo

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I could talk about this for hours.

@The14thDr. yes it seems we are both on a similar track--my goal was to build 1 or 2 under tech suits and have the rest of the armors I make attach to them. Mark 1.5 would be for my Mark III build and then I would build the Mark 41 and take what I learned from the 1.5 and improve on it. (Mark 41 or "Bones" purpose was to test the Mark 42's attachment system and apparently be able to interface with other armor components/plates.) I read that somewhere and the Mark 41 got soooo much cooler lol.

As far as Mark V stuff goes yes I'd be happy to look at your concept--my idea was to build it about the size of a travel bag you take on a plane--gives you more to work with while still be a travel suit. Since I made a plan to focus on the undertech and Mark III I put that suit on the backburner until I get better at Fusion 360 and make the whole thing 3D printed. The suit I have half pepped out is a good visual model for how the plates need to be able to connect/fold up.

As far a locking mechanism goes check out XRobots on Youtube he did something similar for his Hulkbuster suit to make it free standing so he could climb in and out of it. No electronics just a simple pull of a cord locked the knees up, of course your suit will need a different approach--oh hey have cables tied to the hip pods and when you want to lock the suit up to get out or in you twist the pods (like in iron man 1 to deploy the flaps manually) and on the other side of the cable will be the locking mechanism on the knees. Just an idea.

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@ Murdoch Same--I have been dreaming this stuff up for ages but never had space, time, or resources to do it. Now that college is done and I have a 3D printer I figured its best to start making some of this a reality lol.

I'v spent the 5 yrs doing research and development of my War-Machine.
Read so many books on mechanical movement, prosthetics, robotics, kinesiology.
I believe it is possible, but you first have to start with an exoskeletal frame.
it would help If you had a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Which I don't, thus explaining why I've taken so long on mine lol...

@ Murdoch Haha yeah that and a minor in electrical engineering for all the other stuff--I originally started down the path of being an ME and am actually going back to finish out my degree (I have 3 years of engineering classes under my belt) but switched to applied science and work as a Project Manager now--so at least I'm good at looking at material costs, sourcing, creating timelines and creating BoM's for the whole project lol.

But in all seriousness even with a degree this is a pretty ambitious project--I don't have my degree either but between research, this forum and a little elbow grease just about anything is possible--take this thread for example here are several guys shooting for the same goal, I'm positive if we collaborate enough we could come up with something

I forgot to mention before you open Pandora's box & become obsessed with the the idea like myself. Consider the cost in tools, the research and the time. If your cool with this then go ahead brother. My build is similar but the opening is different. Mine is in metal and I'm just focusing on a full range of motion. I am building an exoskeletal armour, and it has been tedious. The tools alone are killing me lol...

Agreed, first off you should figure out what medium you are going to work with and that will determine what kind of tools you will need to acquire--for mine its 3D printed shells with a 3D printed/metal frame. I think I have invested $1,500 so far in tools alone--not counting my printer just to be able to fabricate components for the build. and granted most of the tools can be used for other things besides cosplay projects but you get the idea. If you go the foam route XRobots has a good technique for making the foam harder and easier to paint I watched a boat load of his videos for reference on materials he used and processes he did. if you haven't already check out his channel your mind will explode will all the stuff he builds/designs makes me super jealous lol.

Thanks IronDan27, I’ll definitely check out some of XRobots’ videos!

Murdoch, your War Machine thread is outstanding! There’s some brilliant research and development going on there.

As far as budget goes, I don’t really have a lot of money to spare for a project like this at the moment. However, I’m confident that I could build a working “proof of concept” out of cardboard, just to show how the hinges and magnets will work. After that I’ll look into using aluminium to build the skeleton. The armour that fits over the top of the undersuit will most likely be foam (I’ll look into XRobots method for hardening - I’ve seen some beautiful builds on here that you wouldn’t even know were foam, as long as you put a lot of time and effort into getting a nice finish; which I will be.)I’m currently using my Mk.42 boot/gauntlet build to try out different techniques for working with foam.

IronDan27 said:

(Mark 41 or "Bones" purpose was to test the Mark 42's attachment system and apparently be able to interface with other armor components/plates.) I read that somewhere and the Mark 41 got soooo much cooler lol.

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Wow, I never knew that! I’ll definitely be basing a lot of my under-suit on Mark 41. (Also, I just wanted to say how much I love the sequential approach you’re taking with your builds, slowly working your way up to the end goal in a similar way to how Stark does in the films.)

I was almost too embarrassed to post this, but here’s my (badly-drawn and ill-proportioned) attempt at illustrating how I envision the opening mechanism working:

The arms and legs open with simple hinges along the sides, while the abs and torso split into two down the centre with more hinges to open them up to the side. The part I still need to consider is building the abs with individual plates so that I can still bend and twist my body to allow as full a range of motion as possible.

Nice I'm going to put pen to paper for you later...

Sorry brother Hockey game is very intense, unable to draw.
I don't come empty handed though.
Pic one is a ten inch bungee.
2nd pic is a roll of 2mm bungee cord.
3rd pic is McMaster & Carr tension springs.
These are an affordable a answer to the burning question of open, close armour.
This would be the low end idea for a mechanism of opening. That being said this is only for manual opening.
I hope that you are able to figure this out if not I can try a video explanation of it...

I would like to point out that proportions when using motors and electronics may not look as clean, and the suit may appear to be bulkier than it should be. In the video posted above of the mk43 that opens by itself, it can't actually fit a person, because the proportions would look off if it did. This may be something to consider, and require some engineering to compensate for the bulkiness.


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Murdoch said:

Sorry brother Hockey game is very intense, unable to draw.

....

I don't come empty handed though.
Pic one is a ten inch bungee.
2nd pic is a roll of 2mm bungee cord.
3rd pic is McMaster & Carr tension springs.
These are an affordable a answer to the burning question of open, close armour.
This would be the low end idea for a mechanism of opening. That being said this is only for manual opening.
I hope that you are able to figure this out if not I can try a video explanation of it...

Click to expand...

That's awesome, thanks Murdoch. There's absolutely no rush for those drawings, I'm a long way off starting my build (still very much in the research/pre-planning stage.) I'll still be very interested to see what you come up with, however!

Insignia said:

I would like to point out that proportions when using motors and electronics may not look as clean, and the suit may appear to be bulkier than it should be. In the video posted above of the mk43 that opens by itself, it can't actually fit a person, because the proportions would look off if it did. This may be something to consider, and require some engineering to compensate for the bulkiness.

Click to expand...

Yeah, as stated my plan for the moment is to focus on a more manual system that would fit within your "standard" Iron Man suit. I'm a long way off trying to accomplish this with motors, but if I did it would be for one of the more bulky suits (Igor, Hammerhead, Red Snapper, etc.)

I realize this is a slightly old brainstorming post, but I think it's important to consider your orientation when getting into/out of a suit with latches like this. If the suit is laying on the ground and you're climbing into/out of it, that's very manageable. If you want it to stand upright as you climb in and out (much closer to the movies) then your suit needs a way that it can stand on it's own and a way to stand while you're pushing it around clasping/unclasping parts together.

To me, it seems the only way this could be achieved is if at minimum the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and lower torso are all connected to some sort of servo/motor system and a computer (which is also connected to position sensors). You'd need a "slack" mode where it's not restricting your movement, as well as a "standing" mode for when you're getting in/out.

There might be a middle ground option that locks the hips/legs/ankles, then deploys some stabilizer from the calves/feet (a la HAMMER Drones) to keep the suit's balance, but you're almost certainly going to give up movie accuracy for movie functionality if you go that route. (Not that that's a bad thing, but it is a conscious decision you'll need to make.)

PS: Gloves will also be a pain to leave with the suit.

I think it was mentioned further up the thread that the main idea for keeping the suit upright was to have locking knee joints. I’m still not 100% sure on how exactly that would work, but the idea was something along the lines of a mechanism connected to the hip pods, so that when you twist the pods they locked the knees. (EDIT: See post #9 for IronDan27’s explanation on how this would work) You could then use the same mechanism to lock the hips as well, so that the torso is held into place along with the legs. After that you’d just need a way to stop the abs and chest piece from collapsing into each other (although this would only be an issue if you planned on having collapsible ab plates and a separate chest - which I would recommend for maximum mobility.)

The stabilising issue could easily be solved if you planned on having a Hall of Armours-style unit to store the suit. You could place magnets in the boots that connect to more magnets in the floor of the unit (or maybe just a metal floor) and hold the suit in place while you step in and out. That would sure take up a lot less space than a suit you have to lie down to climb into - otherwise you could risk crushing the back of the suit (unless it was heavily reinforced) every time you climb in and out.

You make a good point about the hands, though. This is something I can’t yet think of a solution for, maybe somebody else has a few ideas? The helmet would also be difficult, unless of course you had the helmet separate and just put it on as normal after the rest of the suit?

Nonetheless, thank you for bumping this thread! It was good to re-read everyone’s ideas and has certainly reignited my interest in the project. Unfortunately I’m still in the position where I lack the space and resources to build anything; for now I have to make do with experimenting in my Mark 42 boot and gauntlet.