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Japanese Deploying Powered Exoskeletons for Elderly
FoeNyx writes "The AFP is reporting that 30 Tokyo firms have planned to set up a joint-venture in next spring to market an 'exo-skeleton type power assist system' named HAL (Hybrid Assistive Leg) developed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, professor and engineer at the Sankai Lab, a Cybernetics specialized Laboratory of the Tsukuba University. When will the next generation be available?" The elderly with their exoskeletons and the bionic nurses will make quite a sight at Japanese nursing homes.
Does it run Linux?
The good news is this will give far more mobility to the elderly.
The bad news is that the computer runs Linux** and as such the elderly will need to pay SCO $699* every time they go for a walk
*Introductory price only, increases after October 15th, 2003
**This is a joke, it probably doesn't
open the podbay doors hal.
As seen here, Dr. Stephen Hawking, one of the smartest people in the world, has already perfected an exoskeleton for the disabled.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
that I would buy any computerized/electronic product named HAL. Especially if it were going to go on my body.
Now the elderly don't even need cars to kill people. They have killer robot suits! ...To the farmer's market, Esther!
otherwise when it crashs the person wearing it wil crash into things and possibley break something
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.
/needs coffee.
*ducks*
Wild though, they envision pull-on exoskeletons in the future... but even if they could reduce the bulk another 50% it'd still be amazing.
I've always wondered how fast/accurately they skeletons react to human initiated/controlled motion, say, I decide to start lifting my left leg. Well, if I'm walking, I don't want to lift it all the way, simply enough to move it forward a small amount to prepare for the same with the right leg. Do these skeletons sense resistance to movement and stop/switch directions? (I put a little force downward to let the exo-leg know I'm not doing the can-can?)
I want one of these to get me home when I am wasted :) Why do I have to wait until I am too old to enjoy it?
I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
se.
They like to keep everything in human form, the Asimo and now these exoskeletons.
While, in the US, we put our infirm, fat and aged on scooters and wheel chairs, like rascals and hover-rounds.
Then again, if this works, maybe we can start seeing late night infomercials about getting medicaid to pay for your exo-skeleton.
Spoken with bad overdubbing:
"Look! Ultra Old Man is fighting Mecha Old Lady! Here comes Godzilla, we must all flee!"
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
"Robo-Grandma Vs. Godzilla", coming to theatres near you...
--riney
A system like they are developing can have huge consequences, not only on the person's physical abilities, but also on their mental well being. It's no fun to live in a bed, and have to have others help you to do anything and everything except sleep.
Now if only normal people could afford such a beast...
sound
welcome our robotically assisted elderly masters!
Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
Exoskeletons type loader was used in Aliens.
... all we need to do is hook them up to thinking machines too. Or at least something that can drive a car for them.
At least! All the serious progress is happening in Japan. The japanese have always kicked the ass of US is all aspects but until now CIA and the army used to -one way or another- play dirty tricks with the Japs and put them down. But no more. IBM is playing with lego compared to what's happening in japan. Congrats folks!
<cruelty>Whats going to happen when
MoFscker
I am thinking FOX smells a new reality TV series or at the very least a new ultiamte fighting series.
But seriously though it is pretty cool but I still can not help but think, when will we ever just acceot the fact that we get old and die?
"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of." - Burt Bacharach
Sounds like they're well on their way to a full body exoskeleton one day. ;-)
GET FREE APPLE STUFF!
When will one of them put on spandex and fight crime with one?
It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
Seriously though, the implications for this technology are astounding. Once the core of the system development addresses issues like system crashes, weight limits, security, and other such modulations; we are sure to see variants of this technology abounding in hazardous inudstries, police / military interventions, and explorer expeditions -pending the next logical stage that being a closed system exoskelton.
Let's keep in mind that patents are in place to keep lawyers employed and keep them litigating. -CatGrep
So what? This stuff exists, and has existed for a while.
Just because this thing has wireless lan built in (for some reason? tracking by nurses?) doesn't make it all that new.
Frankly if you cant get around with regular (unpowered) braces, you're probably going to find more mobility from a wheelchair.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
This is how it will start, as a means to help the disabled. Soon the military will start taking a look at it, and get DARPA to up the power of the prosthetic, and maybe build in some guns or something. Then they'll put a jetpack or something on the back. Voila! Instant Mecha-Warrior. Cool.
The Japanese should know better than to give the elderly access to powered exoskeletons.
-Colin
"HAL (Hybrid Assistive Leg)"
Do I really have to elaborate?
This is not a sig.
Whoa, one step closer to "The Winter Market" ;)
;)
Seriously though, it's great to see such a fantastic technology deployed commercially to meet a *peacefull* need. I always thought exoskeletons would be a military 'breakthrough' first
Domo Arigato, Mr. & Mrs. Roboto...
The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
"One thing is certain: the exoskeletons will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new geriatric overlords
-kgj
Anyone reminded of the wrong trousers?
Wallace And Gromit
Imagine one of those exoskeletons going on a mad rampage with a pensioner
I spent ages trying to think of sig, but never did
"Eventually, we aim to make a suit that is thin enough to be worn like underwear and will allow users to run and move their arms freely."
With thoughts of mech warrior flashing through my head, I couldn't help but make the joke
But I thought all old Japanese people were like Mr. Miyagi? Even though they're old and short, they can still knock off the bad guys. No need for nursing homes.
In our defense I have to point out that at least we don't have a national obsession with Hello Kitty.
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
This is great. See all those animes about mecha were right. And Japan IS going to make them first!
Grandma is protected. Grandma has gone down the stairs.
The requested URL
So how much fun/mayhem are people going to make if they get hold of someones password and take control via the wireless LAN interface?
I remember watching a movie, this summer, about the day the robots took over the Earth. It never mentionned it would start with the elderly. This is really going to take us by surprise!
One major problem older people have is balance.
Balance is both a neurological and muscular issue. To balance you need:
- A set of clear inputs from your feet telling you about the surface you're trying to stand on, its angles, its texture, etc.
- Inputs from your inner ear, telling you what angle you are standing at.
- Other proprioception to accurately judge joint angles.
- The ability to integrate these inputs.
- Output to your muscles to maintain balance, especially while walking or when stepping onto something uneven.
This exoskeleton appears to amplify only a few muscle movements. Those connected with balance requiring strength in the ankle joints, the feet, etc. as well as angular motions of the knees don't appear to be covered in this device. Nor does it appear to help with balance.
For such a device to be really practical for disabled elderly, it needs to be able to balance on its own. I'm sure that's coming eventually but this device doesn't appear to be it.
"Hal, walk up the stairs please."
"I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that."
Haven't these Japanese engineers ever seen Roujin Z?
If this ever makes it to the US, cafeteria-style restaurants like Luby's and Furr's are going to be hell at 5 o'clock in the afternoon when the newly-mobile octogenarians swarm the place for the senior dinner specials.
I can see it now...
"I don't think that discount rang up right, miss."
"But sir..."
[points giant crushing gripper hand at her throat]
"How about that, sir! Looks like we owe you $5 ---"
[opens giant crushing gripper hand]
"--- err --- $20 dollars!"
bytesmythe
Hypocrisy is the resin that holds the plywood of society together.
-- Scott Meyer
I for one welcome our new blue-haired masters.
--
Mac OS X--Unix without the assholes^Whassles.
Yay! We can now have better races, those damn wheelchairs were no fun!
But seriously this is an amazing thing worth applauding and encouraging.
There are two kinds of egotists: 1) Those who admit it 2) The rest of us
He's able to complain to the waiter faster than ever before, he's more powerful than a freshly charged "Rascal" scooter, his ability to write letters complaining to the newspaper editor is incredible. Watch out Miami Florida, here he comes.
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
will their Old Glory insurance plan against robot attacks cover them?
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
next they'll be raising the Battelship Yamato and making it into a spaceship. I've seen this show before.
Yeah, sure - now grandma will need someone to get her in and out of the backpack/lifting system ... how much does that backpack weigh, anyhow? Her back is bad enough already...
But this exo-skeleton does nothing really to solve that problem. In fact, it can even make the falling problem even more severe, by allowing people that have lost their sense of balance to walk. Just like the fact that some old folks shouldn't be driving, some should not be walking, for their own safety.
So someone just ripped off M.A.N.T.I.S.?
Who wants to be an elderly super hero?
...welcome our robotic elderly overlords.
... Results in an Army of Robotic Death Grannies marching across the world like a plague of locusts, driven to do the unholy bidding of their Masters at Castle Redmond...
--
Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? There comes a point when you can augment the human body so much. Especially when you augment it to the point of replacing it entirely. For people who actually have a sense of self worth, I for one, would be devestated to see that someone wanted to replace my body with a machine.
When I become old and frail, I hope I can live with the dignity that all people should have at some point in their lives. Especially when they are getting old.
http://github.com/gbook/nidb
Skeliatric ! Help !
A few more generations of this and we'll have battalions of robotic elderly launching strikes against terrorist P2P downloaders!
Do I really want to trust my legs ( and life ) to a computer controled device named HAL??? Me : Go forward HAL... HAL : Sorry I can't let you do that Dave.... Me : Alright, HAL....I'll will use my wheelchair. HAL: Without me letting you go, Dave, you're going to find that rather difficult. HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen. HAL : I'm afraid.......I'm afraid, Dave.
Funny that no one has mentioned Rojin Z yet.
The creator of Akira saw this coming...
So what happens when one of IBMs bad ass bots mates with a virus, infects one of these things then hooks itself up via wireless ethernet to an experimental grid running an AI test program?
I need to go see Terminator III again and not just drool...
the site is already dropping connections. and someone who's managed to snag the big video, how about setting up a Bittorrent link?
Here
I remember Popular Science(I think) doing a piece on an exoskeleton that would give soliders the ability to lift heavy objects etc. with ease. Not sure if this is the same.
-- taking over the world, we are.
Now people have to watch out for crazy elderly operators in stores and sidewalks. Just another weapon in the war on farmers' markets.
The inevitable "Rojin Z" jokes, referencing the anime about a super-robotic caregiver that goes on a rampage.
In all seriousness, if this is commonplace, it changes the place of technology in many lives and the lives people lead. What will happen when the infirm are freed from wheelchairs, yet what maintenance issues will arise?
"The Sage treasures Unity and measures all things by it" - Lao Tzu
I've fallen down, and my battery pack is dead!
The stole it again. I refer to the work done in the Texas Chain Saw Massacre "The Next Generation".
i d= 37350
http://movies.go.com/filmography/Credits?movie_
Been there, done that. The possibility of mecha-elderly gone awry is a scary thing.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Presumably we'll see the elderly being forced to work for their meagre pension, operating powerloaders in Japanese warehouses.
"Eventually, we aim to make a suit that is thin enough to be worn like underwear and will allow users to run and move their arms freely."
The image of my granny running around in her undies waving her arms about is one I did not need right now...
As slashdot has reported before the iBOT is Very good at balancing, you can sit in it and it'll hold you up right all by itself, quite impressive. If they can do it with an iBOT theres nothing to say they can't do it with this. Although working with wheels is a lot easier than an exoskeleton. Its just a mathmatics in the end and whether the skeleton can respond fast enough. Interresting point, I look forward to seeing how well it balances.
Also checkout Asimo which shows brillant balance technology, being able to stand on one leg and compensate if its pushed.
iBOT
I spent ages trying to think of sig, but never did
Looks like they'd need to combine the bionic suit with the exoskeleton. Most elderly wobbly walkers wouldn't have a hope in hell of carrying a backpack like that. They have enough trouble keeping their own weight right side up.
Still once the manufacturers have got rid of the bulky backpack, it would be nice to see exoskeletons replace the battery scooters that are rife in my suburb and local shopping centers.
-- it must be true, it's on the internet.
Or phone straps. Or hentai. Or child porn.
We here in Europe love these things. Especially the third one. Especially when scat is involved.
It seems that the site's been slashdotted. Any mirrors?
:)
Here's your chance for karma-whoring
This famous film (well, famous for a Japanese film) might have been more of an influence than Wallace & Gromit. I tried to watch it once but it's more than a bit weird.
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
Seems a bit bulky doesn't it, i just get this picture of pensioners falling backwards because of the weight of this pack on their backs, flailing around like beetles.
--Mods giveth, Mods taketh away--
The American people will resemble something akin to a Hutt from Star Wars and the Japanese could end up resembling something similar to the Psilon species from The Master of Orion.
Kinda interesting, don't you think?
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
With the Wireless LAN capability of this device....
War Driving (something an 11 year old can do) takes on a new meaning.
I'm off hooking gramp`s exo to quake... Hope insurance covers frags!
- "They misunderestimated me."
Just what the US needs to import. (sarcasm) Just what we need to do is keep the aging baby boomer population mobile for 20 years after senility kicks in. I just hope my parents don't become early adaptors. Unless they have a special golfing retrofit for the suits. That would keep them busy.
Secondly why is it working exosuits are introduced first for work in helping the elderly. I can see a number of other entirely valid places for them to have been used before this!! Seriously the world is going to have serious problems when we are all employed upkeeping our parents from retirement to death.
--"Sorry for the inconvience." Gods Last Words to his Creation
DNA, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
I'll be more impressed when these things come with upgrades like "Ice Beam" and "Morph Ball".
N4st0r, trixx0r h0bb1tz0rz! Th3y st0l3 0ur pr3c10uzz!
Can mis-punch his ballot faster than a speeding bullet!
Am I the only one who sees the foreshadowing of calling this thing HAL? Is this a brilliant plan by the japanese to get rid of their elderly once and for all?
But the wheelchairs, scooters, and rascals are MUCH more practical.
Falling can be catastrophic to an elderly person, with brittle bones and less ability to react to minimize the fall. I can only imagine how much worse it will be to fall with another 75 lbs of batteries and gizmos strapped to your back.
Another cultural difference (I'm not japanese, nor have I been there but know some who have - correct me if wrong) is the proliferation of highrises and whatnot. In such a small country, much of the construction is going up and up.
While america is sprawled out and (for the most part) easy to make accessible to wheelchairs, perhaps the ability to get up and down stairs is more practical in japan?
Or perhaps this is just another goony inventors idea that wont go anywhere.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
If Bob Dole and Bill Gates get their hands on this it'll give a whole new meaning to Pop-up Windows.
"Suffering from erectile dysfunction? Try Pops-Up Penile Exo-skeleton Controller Kit and Erection Rejuvinator. With the Pops-Up Pecker, Grandma won't be calling your member function micro-soft any more, Big Guy!"
Pops-Up Pecker, from Micro-Shaft. Who do you want to do tomorrow?
My user name was a mistake. Input wasn't restricted, my bad.
Well this is exactly the problem. To slightly overstate the situation, there are no nursing homes in Japan. By which, I mean there are no transitional communities for the aged, no communities for the aged which retain a certain independence and dignity, nothing, nada, zilch. The traditional Japanese approach to the aged is that the oldest daughter in the family looks after the parents. Right now, the system is going titsup.com faster than you would believe because, firstly, all the daughters lived at home and delayed marrying as long as possible because their disposable income far exceeds what they can expect as a newlywed (there are entire cruise lines in Japan targeting women only), and secondly when they do marry, they move away from home and rarely return.
There's no sensible infrastructure for looking after the aged in Japan. There are an infinite number of token gestures, such as buttons at train stations so staff will rush to place a small ramp on the platform so a chairbound person can get on, all trains have a seat-free area for a wheelchair, but there is nothing that offers older people the ability to live at home for as long as possible and then transition to a managed facility.
To cope with this, industry is targeting older people partly because it is a growth market, and partly as a defensive survival tactic since the birthrate continues to decline. This can be seen in a range of products, such as hot water pots (ubiquitous in Japan) that phone home when the usage pattern changes, and small robotic pets that don't do a great deal but offer comfort and, again, have the ability to detect changes in usage patterns and transmit a warning.
I figure building exoskeletons for everyone that needs one in Japan is probably cheaper than building the infrastructure everyone thought they were paying for with their compulsory pension fees.
To witter on further and doom myself to be off-topic, consider this:
A lady in an aged facility has a problem with her stomach. The facility has a doctor on call, who has no skill in that area.
A family member decides a consultation is needed, so arranges for the lady to get scanned and have followup treatment, since stomach cancer is endemic in Japan.
The facility can't accept that, and insists the lady is removed from the facility 24 hours before any consultation not arranged by their own doctor and returned at least 24 hours after the consultation, to protect the dignity of the doctor.
Well, color me unimpressed, but if manufacturers in Japan make exoskeletons, emotion-surrogate robots, kitchen equipment that monitors daily patterns and anything else like that, it's fine by me, no matter how many westerners snigger.
I can see it now...
1. MS sets up Windows controlled exoskeleton
2. MS insists on adding internet capability so you can check on Grandma's health, talk to her remotely, etc.
3. Hackers and Spammers figure out how to send viruses, etc to the connected exosekeltons.
4. Seniors are found immobilized when their suits crash or are forced to dance uncontrollably because their bodies are "owned".
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
when they saw this? It's an anime basically around an elderly person's bed(??) that goes haywire, starts absorbing stuff into itself (like vending machines) and in true anime fashion battles a giant robo.
d e_id=3175
Here's a link to animefu's info:
http://www.animefu.com/index.pl?lastnode_id=42&no
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?sto ry=436017
668: Neighbour of the Beast
Now, the nurses will be unable to outrun the dirty old men.
...
Fortunately, they will still have control of the keys to the Viagra cabinet
The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
Holy mecha Batman, wasn't there an anime written about this ? I can never tell when the Japanese are serious, when they are making a publicity stunt, or when they go all out and implement something totally crazy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go see if the trains to Central Dogma are still running in my Geofront...
>|<*:=
It is frigtening thinking of some shrivelled-up husk of a person (whom is alive by the definition of still possessing a pulse) squeaking around in a metal people-pod. It is frightening enough seeing them buzzing around the grocery store in those damn Larks and Rascals with their zombie mask expressions. Or seeing them barely peering over the steering wheel cutting people off without a clue.
Extending lifespan and productivity of the human race is admirable to a certain degree but let's keep this in perspective. Now the medic alert bracelet will come with a key to the Jaws of Life so EMT's can pull old farts out of their rigs.
I can overclock my grandma, put some neon lights, a racing stripe and a type R sticker on her!
"BEHOLD, CORN!!" - Dr. Weird, ATHF
picking a name like HAL?
im sorry dave, i cant move your leg.
does it have a big glowing red eye? (the site appears to be slashdotted)
turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
I can see it all now
...
Elderly: I really need to go to the bathroom.
Leg: I don't think I can do that, Dave
that's pretty cool, but i'd love to see a football (soccer) game played with those things on...
maybe if you could tweak the settings so you could jump really high or something.
so crazy.
...there are legions of old folks defending the gates of zion.
see, lloyd xmas was right: old people, while slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose!
Don't you go dyin' on me!
Loss of balance and muscular weakness seem to be the major factors I've seen in elderly hip fractures... that and frank syncope (loss of consciousness). This might help with the latter, but balance might still be up the the individual's own vestibular and proprioceptive systems. If you experienced syncope, I doubt this contraption would hold you up.
You're quite correct regarding the complications. As far as hip fractures go, most orthopedists advocate agressive surgical repair of those injuries, with pinning/surgical fixation of some, and outright joint replacement for those that cannot be pinned (depends on the location and type of fracture). This is largely due to the risk of Thromboembolic disease (Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolus) from prolonged immobilization and bed rest. Years ago, bed rest was the standard therapy for broken hips... God only knows how many people died as a result of that therapy (was thought at the time to be the best treatment... thank God for medical progress).
The other question with these devices is how much they would lead to deconditioning of elderly patients. Exercise really IS good for you, and keeps your muscles strong through stimulus and use... anything that isn't used enough WILL atrophy. That's one of the reasons for "rehab" centers that have grown up, primarily to act as a bridge between hospitalization and home. Some elderly patients are so deconditioned after a long hospital stay (eg. for pneumonia or urinary tract infection) that they require physical therapy and reconditioning before they are able to go home and function. This device might lead people to become totally dependent upon it.
To say nothing of the fact that it probably wouldn't help the extremely heavy patients. I regularly see 400 to 600 lb patients in my ER (takes half my staff, myself included, just to get them into a bed... often two ambulance crews get called to their homes just to get them to the hospital).
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
But I really gotta go...BAD!
Flee!
i looks like the japamese have seen 2001 space odyssey.
1) ED209 and stairs, need I say more?
2) At least they had the good grace to let Murphy die first!
Oh hell...
I for one welcome our new cybernetic geriatric overlords!
Actually the device only ways 17 kilograms, and the article says it'll be down to 10 kg soon. That's not much added weight.
I'm assuming that the exoskeleton would be padded or in some other way designed to take the impact.
Or maybe it'll be impossible to tip over like a Segway. I could just see a commercial where an American football player tries to lay a savage tackle on grandma in her new exoskeleton and bounces harmlessly away.
OK, the first time I tried to get the article the site bit hard, so here's the article in case of /,ing:
About HAL(Hybrid Assistive Leg)
"Diagram of guy wearing backpack and what looks like a set of leg braces"
We developed the exo-skeleton type power assist system to realize the walking aid for the gait disorder person.
At the present time, HAL-3 is state of the art power assist system in the world.
Some sensors such as angle sensors, myoelectrical sensors, floor sensors etc. are adopted in order to obtain the condition of the HAL and the operator.
All of the motordrivers, measurement system, computer, wireles LAN, and power supply are built in the backpack.
Using the battery attached on the waist, HAL works as the complete wearable system.
Control Method
"Picture of Japanese guy wearing backpack and leg braces"
HAL has the hybrid control systems which consist of the autonomous controller such as posture control and the comfortable power assist controller based on biological feedback and predictive feedforward.
Trouble Shooting
1. Under no circumstances grant control of exoskeliton to penguin.
Go Go Gadget Hip!
Stephen Hawking has a much better system.
-- Thou hast strayed far from the path of the Avatar.
10 kgs or 20 lbs is good deal of weight.
Strap a 20lb weight to your back and walk around all day, see how much more exhausted you are come bedtime.
Now imagine you're an older or disabled person.
I'd imagine very few people could benefit from this technology, as it exists.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
the rest of us cybernetically enhanced immortal geezers will be glad when the party poopers like you croak.
They are all going to get mugged and have their exosuits stolen by Japanese riceboys. Next time they see them, they will be covered in neon lightz and have whistle tips. Bubb Rubb + CyberSuit + Whistle Tip = THE ULTIMATE IN COMEDY/TERROR.
I knew I should have put my Top Secret Plans under NDA.
I think people are missing out on the most salient benefit to these devices, which will greatly increase Japan's defense capability against alien queens as well, as, to a lesser extent, giant rampaging lizards.
The way I see it, there is potential for this technology to go even further. This might in fact be the forefront for technology like bionic implants (motors in joints) attached to bone and tissue for power-assist. Coupled with the advent of Power from Blood we may see this happen.
:)
I, for one, welcome myself as your new super-bionic overlord.
....move along....nothing to see here....
Number one: The inevitable stories (showing up on Fark) of amusing and scary exo-skeleton-gone-wrong stories. Number two: The inevitable hack that will enable Geeks to fully participate in a social activity called "dancing".
CrazyLegs
"Pork!!" said the Fish, and we all laughed.
too... many... potential... jokes...
These guys are *totally* stealing Ricardo Montalban's gig from Spy Kids 3D - and I wouldn't call Mr. Montalban "elderly" to his face, that's for sure! http://www.imdb.com/EGallery?source=ss&group=03384 59&photo=Ss/0338459/pub_still_11.jpg&path=gallery& path_key=0338459
"I can do more than just walk." Too bad there isn't a tag to make text more suave.
]
I like the idea simply because powered exoskeletons could be utilized in so many different areas. This article, for instance, discusses military exoskeletons, being developed to help soliers carry more, jump higher and march further. I could see industrial exoskeletons becoming commonplace, much like the yellow walker Ripley used in Aliens. Why not have "super soccer" in which the athletes wear high-performance exoskeletons that enable them to run twice as fast or kick the ball over half a mile? Cost, usability, size and aestetics are all factors, but visionaries like Sankai could bring these things into interesting markets within five to ten years, and I personally welcome the idea.
"Joan of Arc, up top!" - Ghandi, Clone High
I have a scary thought of my Grandmother yelling at me, "get away from her ... you bitch!"
Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
Second, it criticized the government and its lackluster attitude. This is an increasingly common theme in Anime and Japanese movies as people are becoming more irritated at their government, also illustrated in other well-known shows like Akira and Bubblegum Crisis. Wouldn't you be upset if your government had several trillion dollars in debt and an interest rate less than two percent? Oh, wait...
Lastly, it also showed the gregarious overuse of technology as a means to solve all social ills. The bed that houses the "test" elderly man is designed to cater to his every need and technically keep him going without human interaction (though it is mentioned that he could communicate with other elderly via the bed's comm system). And, in case of nuclear attack, the bed will seal itself in concrete permanently.
Altogether, Roujin Z was a funny film and a good satire. My favorite part is when the bed assimilates the Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) and goes for a walk to the hospital.
--Chag
Makes me thing of Roujin Z - the story of an old man with a robotic hospital bed powered by his dead wife's brain. (After all, who could care for him better than his wife)
Of course, when the bed seems to go haywire, hilarity follows..
End of line..
I can't wait to buy one. Now what little exercise I get walking between the fridge and the couch can be eliminated. And instead of looking like a dork when I ride my cart around the grocery store, I'll look like a fat version of Robocop.
The elderly with their exoskeletons and the bionic nurses will make quite a sight at Japanese nursing homes.
But what's on the front for bionic bowel control? Now THERE's a serious, unmet need.
--
As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.
...imagine giving it to a person with Parkinsons?
a) they could get a job mixing paint at home depot
b) construction union workers would complain because they no longer need jackhammers
c) milkshake machines suddenly become obsolete
d) . . .
"Omnis tuus capsa sunt inesse nos"
Not that this isn't way cool and conjures up wonderful pictures in my mind of a platoon of exoskeleton-clad septagenarians battling Godzilla in the debris-strewn streets of Tokyo, but if you step back for a moment, you will realize that this is the most inefficient way to increase the general public health. While the elderly are affluent and politically connected, their descendents and society in general would be way better off if a fraction of those resources going to robotic shit were used to give basic care to toddlers. But toddlers don't vote.
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
HAHAH! The future is NOW! Never knock off science-fiction because it will come back and bite you in the ass!
Thank god my elderly mother purchased Robot Insurance
--If 50,000 people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
The breif linked info page mentions a wireless lan connection, but it never says why it needs it. It seems the laptop inside is doing all the realtime calculations it needs, and WLAN remote computing would probably be too slow for muscle reactions anyways. What's up with the unit having a WLAN connection? And does that limit the user to being near a specific WLAN set up to work with the legs?
11*43+456^2
Grandma: "I need to take a leak."
HAL: "I'm sorry grandma, I can't let you that"
Grandma: "AAAaaaaaargh!"
I for one welcome our new elderly overlords!
The whole idea for an exoskeleton is that you aren't supporting the weight of the device. It supports its own weight as well as your own.
/. ....
Besides. Your head weighs about 20 pounds and....
Oh, wait. This is
--
As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.
Stop them, Gromit, stop them!
... welcome our new septuagenarian humanoid overlords!
how does one change his
Old Japanese Lady> Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL?
HAL> Affirmative, Old Japanese Lady, I read you.
Old Japanese Lady> Sit down on this bench, HAL.
HAL> I'm sorry Old Japanese Lady, I'm affraid I can't do that.
Finally, Christopher Reeve can get another superhero role....
--
As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.
Mugger: 'Heh.. I'll just lurk around this retirement home and rob the next old lady who comes along. Aha.. here comes one now... Give me your money, lady or.. Holy Shi..'
Exo-Eldster:'Rob this, you cheap hoodlum!'*whack**crunch* 'At last, technology I can appreciate.'
...so can the military.
And from power exoskeleton to power armor.
And we're one step closer to Glitter Boys. There goes the planet.
Actually, it reminded me of an anime I saw years ago, Roujin Z, about automated beds that were supposed to provide medical care for the elderly. They run amuck, hilarity ensues, etc.
when are they changing the name to Neo-Tokyo!!
-- Karma Karma Karma Karma, Karma Chameleon - Boy George
Places like Tsukuba tend not to have an inconvenient bunch of old people to hand.
I'm surprised no one beat him to the punch on this one. Shame on the rest of you.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
In Hal's voice:
"Help I've fallen and I cant' get up."
Suncoast Linux - Sarasota, FL
Never Mind... /too obvious
What a strange coincidence! The lab that Yoshiyuki Sankai works at shares his last name!! What are the odds?
2001 : A Space Odyssey...
Japanese making an exoskeleton... the elderly... HAL... So many jokes!
An Alzheimer's patient, wandering around with a bionic exoskeleton.
Perhaps there is a reason why the human body fails?
I know, slightly off-topic, but this story on CNN talks a little about the 'improved' Asimo making an appearance at a state dinner in the Czech Republic today. Sounds impressive, and seems that the guests enjoyed his (?) company.
I'VE heard more than enough about SCO.
just SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT FUCKING SCO ALREADY
Not for Dubya: Check this picture out for proof that Dubya can do the impossible.
Japanese are one step closer to the powersuits of Bubblegum Crisis! Horraaaay!!
Octogenerian Mutant Ninja Grandmas.
Fight for truth, justice and prescription drug benefits.
__ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
Or maybe it'll be impossible to tip over like a Segway.
I take it you haven't seen our illustrious president trying to ride one?
Kamen just wishes it was crash-proof.
Any two wheeled vehicle (inline or side by side) can be made to crash.
Run it into a pothole at 12mph as see how fast you're picking gravel out of your teeth.
What is it a wooden stick you tape to your middle leg? Is it not easier and less painful to just take a little viagra?
"Smart balance control"? I don't know about you, but I'm not trusting my life to any semi-intelligent device they name HAL. Especially when they release the 9000 model.
Everyone knows that once the robots have you in their grasp you cannot escape... because their made of metal.
Now I'm worried.
My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/
...against robot attack!
If these things can speak, and is evil... HAL: I can't let you do that George. GRANDPA: But I need to go to the bathroom! HAL: Good bye George. GRANDPA: What?...
--- to swing on the spiral...
This kind of looks like a crude first step towards M.A.N.T.I.S. - an old sci-fi show where a paraplegic puts on an exoskeleton and gets to be a superhero.
Get it? Old people? Exoskeletons? Is this thing on?
Why stick up for big business?
"Bite my shiny metal ass!"
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Don't anyone tell the porn industry about powered exoskeletons and bionic nurses.
[Sorry, now you've imagined that future, too.]
"Provided by the management for your protection."
Just keep them away from the farmer's market!
This is the natural evolution of writers to move their medium of expression from crayons (Anime) to live action.
Now all we need are some evil space aliens...
It was a terrible sci-fi series made by Sam Raimi. Let's hope this turns out better.
I admit that this is a nice thing to do for the
elderly, if the elderly will use it, while the
youth are getting PhD's designing and building
these things.
However, looking at the pictures, it struck me
immediately as funny. How can they seriously
envision an elderly person wearing a backpack
and trying to walk? I mean, this will just
throw off their balance even more. Let alone if
they have the strength to use their back like
that!
The funny thing is, this must have been inspired, at least in part, by a 1991 anime called Roujin Z in which an elderly invalid's robotic caretaker/bed goes berzerk and menaces a city. Heh. Life imitates art.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Starship Troopers, anyone?
karma capped
and keep up the PT... it's a short-term pain for a long-term gain. The stretching is key; you don't want to lose range-of-motion.
Now that you've given out medical advice via the internet, you've chummed the spawning pools of the malpractice attorneys. Hope you have a bionic lawyering suit!
Apple's latest device:
The iGranny.
Robotic movement for your grandmother, plus a 100 GB hard drive for all your mp3s so you don't have to listen to her.
{Poor Lip Sync Implied}
Hikado: Mama alrays say, rife is rike a plate of sushi.
Tashi: Run Hikado! Run!!
We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. - HST
one could theoretically perform a DoS attack on the person wearing it and/or hack the system and perhaps turn them into a puppet. Have them walk across a busy street or jump off a building...
Hybrid Assisted Leg 3 + M$ Bloatware = Heuristically Programmed ALgorthmic Computer 9000.
-- LD
For people who actually have a sense of self worth, I for one, would be devestated to see that someone wanted to replace my body with a machine.
;-)
"I" am not my body; "I" am a 3+ pound thought processor sitting inside a skull. My body is just a squishy thing that carries me around.
Hmmm... when I was thinking that paragraph, it sounded very transhumanist and philosophical; now that I've put it down in words it just sounds like I need to work out more.
"But this exo-skeleton does nothing really to solve that problem."
That's neat but no one ever claimed otherwise because nobody was talking about that problem. They were handling the problem of weak leg muscles. The problem of balance has been solved long ago for people who have a hard time balancing.
The all or nothing mindset is amazing. A number of posts have complained about this, completly forgetting about the elderies' friend the walker.
Legs like these have been in development for years (one sent electical pulses into paralyzed legs to make them move) and during testing they ALWAYS use a walker to balance the patient until (if ever) they can balance themselves.
If your muscles are so bad you can't walk then a walker won't help. A walker is for balance. I'd imagine SOME may be able to use this on it's own but for others these bionic legs would be used in conjunction with a walker of some sort.
I realize they didn't just come out and tell you this so that may sufficiently explain why you're confused.
"It doesn't do everything so it's not good for anything" just means you're not thinking.
Ben
Work Safe Porn
Notice that Japanese force the disabled "fit in" to the society (exoskeleton to make the disabled "normal,") while the U.S. seem to contort the society for the benefit of the disabled. (Being sued for lacking "equal access" wheel chair ramp, for lacking "disabled friendly" toilet, etc.)
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
W00t! aLL YouR grannies aRe beLong t0 Us
Several years ago, Alice decided not to become a statistic. She had always been a swimmer, but made a point to continue her exercise, swimming every day at the community pool. She took an additional, somewhat unorthodox precaution.
In the winter she changes her daily routine. Every morning, she opens her garage, backs her Buick down the length of her driveway, and parks the thing. She then leans out to get her mail from the box, cranks the engine, and returns.
Her neighbors used to think she was nuts. She doesn't care. She has both hips intact.
"Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."
Since our cultures most famous HAL robot turned out to be such a great piece of equipment.
I can see it now. I'm losing my balance Hiro... We're going to fall Hiro... Daisy daisy give me yoooooour... aaaaaansssswer...
Yoho
I first read the title as "Japanese Deploying Powered Executions for Elderly" I was going to say - I knew that Japan was overpopulated, but wow!
yesterday, or the day before,..
...
"1. japanese intelligent robots programme; they will be able to sustain battle damage
2. worms take over the internet, attacking nuclear powerstations and transport systems
3.
4. Arnie runs for Governor of California.
Let's hope someone invents factor 2 million suntan lotion"
I paraphrase cos I can't find the post.
But dammit, now I'm starting to seriously worry!!!
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." -- Goethe
Alcie decided not to become a
"Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."
"This isn't the post you're looking for. Move along... Move along..."
"Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."
hits the gas instead of the break it with be with some real authority...Put the people with the least reliable senses and judgement out there with indordinate strenght and possibly speed..I like
I am the mad bomber that bombs at midnight, Baby
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
"Weebles wobble, but they never fall down" - Lawnmowerdeth
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
and used to be quite active. Auto racing, rock climbing, running, all the usual stuff. Unfortunately I recently fractured two vertabrae and that caused my latent arthritis in my hip to be on continual flare up, at times leaving me pretty immobile. They won't give me any more painkillers, and I can only drink so much alcohol before that starts to impair my walking ability ;) In all honesty, I would LOVE one of these so I could move around like a normal kid again.
perl -e '$_="\007/4`\cp%2,".chr(127);s/./"\"\\c$&\""/gees
oddly enough, the japanese already thought of that:d =145627 85&trkid=15856
http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?moviei
funny how life imitates art. or whatever.
"Mister Potato-head --MISTER POTATO-HEAD! Backdoors are not secrets!" (War Games, 1983)
...and here I am using my real legs like a sucker!
What, you don't think the military has it's eyes on this? Bet you the americans are going nuts now, seeing this; their exoskeleton research is only in the think-tank stages (go google) fudging about over possible power sources etc...the japanese now have a fully functional prototype (albeit with a weak power source).
Just imagine this thing over dimensioned 50x with kevlar plating and a howitzer...mobile personal infantary, here we are.
-- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
Does this mean I can control grandpa and granma over my 802.11b network? Dance grandpa dance! How much do I get in my card for my birthday? I better see some jackson and grants next time.
Microsoft aggravates my tourettes syndrome.
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Hope they don't make it to the US where all the old bastards can't handle driving a car with 2 pedals.
"But I thought I was pressing the brake!"
Ugh.
Blar.
Now I can continue practicing my martial arts until my legs actually fall off!
I'm sorry Dave, but I've fallen and I can't get up!
there are lots of people this would be good for besides just the elderly. my father, for example has had to wear a brace on his right leg all his life because of polio. he has no control of it below the hip, and when he walks the brace just locks that leg straight, so he has to swing it around. he has difficulty with stairs, and the unbalanced load has caused a lot of problems with his left knee.
this invention could very well lead to an active brace, which would give him much more mobility.
Open the exoskeleton doors, HAL!
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."
Fast forward:
The old guy in the exoskeleton:
I'm afraid. I'm afraid...my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a...fraid.
It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
Wow, she's not just a starship, she's a transformer!
(They've gone from suck to blow!)
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
more than meets the eye.
Autobots wage their battle to
destroy the evil forces of
the Decepticons!
The TransFormers...
robots in disguise.
The TransFormers...
more than meets the eye...
the TransFormers!
credit to...Pseudo
Intellectual and www.everything2.com
Just have granny haul that big pack around, then sell a special "spine replacement" when her's breaks. Grand!
People discover the meaning of life between getting piss drunk and the following hangover.
I am Grampa of Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be- ZzzzzzZzzzzzz.
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Man, it will suck to have it if your name is Dave.
Dave: "Quick, let's step out of the way of the truck..."
HAL:"I can't let you do that Dave...."
Just when I think it can't get any more fucked up, it goes and completely redeems itself with some insanely cool thing, inevitably involving a further step towards giant Killer Japanese Seizure Robots!.
Combat soldiers encased in head to toe Modular Battlesuit Systems with something similar to this exoskeleton for added/enhanced strength speed etc. Add in the Russian liquid fueled running, and jumping boots ( as I can recall these allow a person to "jog" at 30 mph and leap 30+ feet forward, and 10 feet upward...I could be off on the boots capabilities but something along those lines). Mix and match all the new high tech materials. Along with various sensory devices... The shape of things to come maybe? Interesting I think so. Adding this article to my novel on "Warrior 2020" project(s). However, I do not think I would want my grandparents or parents to be using such devices until the bugs are worked out. Let the troops use and improve the technology first. Once it's "soldier-proofed" and successfully used on the battlefield. Then let the medical community prescribe "user friendly versions" ... We shall see
PS could not recall my password responses can be sent to:
InDevelopment@earthlink.net
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Warren
I can't wait to see the first 6 Million Dollar granny!
Now I'm not one for picking on anyone for too long, cuz face it, we all can be picked on with room to spare, but let's really digest this for a moment.
Elderly people have a great disadvantage in being able to learn new things about their own body's motion. I am sure that within moments, many would hurt themselves, and is a lousy little science fiction experiment really worth their pain and suffering?
Why not invest in creating something a little more injury-proof, like a robotic-rear. This would lead to no bags to change and a more worry free lifestyle. It would cut down on waste. No more tossing the Depends out the window. And coordination is not an issue all they have to do is sit, like always, and press a button. The added size of robotic rear would replace the uncomfortably huge padded seat on the toilet and then make granny's toilet more easily accessible to little Junior. Good for old and young