HAL Exoskeleton to Ship by End of 2005

Posted 7 Apr 2005 at 19:07 UTC by steve

The Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) exoskeleton developed by Yoshiyuki Sankai at the University of Tsukuba in Japan is expected to be commercially available by the end of this year, according to a New Scientist article. The HAL exoskeleton acts as a bionic suit that could allow normal humans to have super-human strength. It may also allow the elderly and people with brain and spinal injuries to walk normally again. The strap-on bio-cybernetic system monitors the nerve signals sent by the wearer's brain to the limbs and mimics the intended movements. Video of a HAL prototype in action can be found on the University website.