Robo-Legs to Help the Elderly Walk

Posted 23 Aug 2003 at 00:09 UTC by The Swirling Brain

The Herald Sun has an article that says that Japanese companies will market a 'robot suit'. The powered robot exoskeleton, code-named HAL-3 (Hybrid Assistive Leg), will aid the aged or physically disabled people to walk, climb stairs, or sit down. The suit consists of a computer, batteries, and four actuators at the knees and hip joints. Rembember that exoskeleton palet jack thing that Sigourney Weaver used in the movie Aliens?

No grandma NO!, posted 23 Aug 2003 at 00:13 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

Now imagine for a moment your grandma barrelling toward ya like Terminator with her sexy vericose robo-legs to come and pinch you on the cheek! Ahhh!

Seriously, though, I wonder how safe this thing will be? Or, what happens when it goes bizerk? Will it run Windows? Ahh, grandma, I didn't know you could do that!?

And the gratitutious: I've fallen and I can't get up!

Crash . . ., posted 24 Aug 2003 at 23:11 UTC by jstrohm » (Observer)

If it's windows it's more like "I've crashed and I can't reboot!"

New meaning, posted 25 Aug 2003 at 14:45 UTC by earlwb » (Master)

The "Blue Screen of Death" takes on a whole new meaning....:) I wonder how it'll be able post the error to Microsoft?

Here's a pic of it., posted 27 Aug 2003 at 02:05 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

View the prototype.

Practical Application, posted 1 Sep 2003 at 23:15 UTC by lucretiaX » (Apprentice)

It's nice to see that something like this actually has become something usefull. I investigated this idea a few years ago when proto-types were being tested on astronauts and cosmonauts who were in space for extended periods of time. They wanted to create a suit that would quickly rehabilitate muscles. The last I had heard of the device was that it was considered being used to treat cerebral palsy patients. Leave it to the Japanese to refine it and market it. Bravo.

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