My senior design team tackled a similar problem. We essentially were to design and build an exoskeleton for lifting/loading/material handling. Here are some problems we encountered.
1. Anthropomorphics - The human body is a beautifully designed mechanical structure with amazing dexterity...
Noise reduction for jet engines is a major design problem, especially since federal noise regulations for airports have become tougher. You have to fight the fact that you are dealing with pressurized air (and sound is a pressure disturbance) the mechanical noise generated by the engine...