Robot suit for rent in Japan

The hybrid assistive limb at a demo.
TSUKUBA: A robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems, an invention that may have far-reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly, will be available to rent in Japan for $2,200 (about Rs. 1 lakh) a month starting Friday .

HAL, short for “hybrid assistive limb,” is a computerised suit with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin.

The s10-kg battery-operated computer system is belted to the waist. It captures the brain signals and relays them to mechanical leg braces strapped to the thighs and knees, which then provide robotic assistance to people as they walk.

Cyberdyne, a company in Tsukuba outside Tokyo, will mass-produce HAL. Two people demonstrated the suits at the company’s headquarters on Tuesday. more