Robot suit for rent

Juniper Foo | Oct 10, 2008

(Credit: Cyberdyne)

I, Robot's Isaac Asimov would have loved Japan to bits. Land of robots (kawaii or otherwise) and birth place of the Honda Asimov (in tribute to Isaac) and Murata Girl, Japan has again led the march forward--with robot suits for rent. How cool is that? But before we can all become Iron Man, there's just one wee catch. You'll need about 220,000 yen (US$2,218) in pocket change for the tab. And that's just a month's rental.

Cyberdyne, a new company in Tsukuba outside Tokyo, says it will mass-produce HAL (in yet another tribute, this time to 2001: A Space Odyssey), short for hybrid assistive limb. The suit's ability to read brain signals and direct limb movement thorugh the skin will have far-reaching impact for the rapidly aging population and people with mobility issues not just in Japan but worldwide.

Yoshiyuki Sankai, a University of Tsukuba professor and HAL's creator, says the suit is ready for prime time, and is, in fact, currently working to develop a full device that covers the whole body.

For now, the present HAL is a 10kg battery-operated computer system that comes belted to the waist and relays brain signals to mechanical leg braces strapped to the thighs and knees. To fit all, HAL comes in three sizes: Small, medium and large. For those with a working leg, there's even a one-leg edition, with a rental fee to match at 150,000 yen per month. Cyberdyne expects to rent 500 units over the next year.

Via Japan Today

Filed under: Future Tech
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