Honda's robotics division has unveiled the prototype of a strange new helper: a "walking assistant." Honda says the robotic legs could restore mobility to the elderly or infirm, and could help prevent factory workers from straining their muscles--if they don't mind being joined to the strange looking device. The user would employ the device by stepping into a pair of shoes attached to jointed legs.
The legs support a mildly-scary looking U-shaped saddle, which cups the wearer's groin and buttocks firmly to deliver solid uplift.... Honda say that the machine reduces load on the hip joints, and helps not just with walking but also standing - and especially with maintaining a crouched position [The Register].
The device, which weighs about 14 pounds and is powered by a motor and Lithium ion battery, is the result of Honda's nine-year-old initiative to develop mobility-assisting technologies.
The creation of the device borrowed heavily ...
