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?

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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.