Robotic Legs Instead of Wheelchairs

smooth wombat writes "Atsuo Takanishi, an engineering professor at Tokyo's Waseda University, has demonstrated a pair of robotic legs that may one day eliminate the need for wheelchairs. At the demonstration in Tokyo, one of Takanishi's students rode the robot -- which bears some resemblance to the mechanical "Wrong Trousers" of Wallace and Gromit fame -- up and down a staircase and along a pebbly path outdoors. A picture of the demonstration may be found here " Still waiting for my Gundam but that's a good start.

Comments

Interesting

[Ironsides]

Only two legs? I'm surprised they didn't go with four. Sure, it's a little bit harder to work with. However, it would seem to be quite a bit more stable as well, especially when the power fails.

Re:Interesting

[FirienFirien]

The major advantage of this over a wheelchair is conformity to the normal human shape. A wheelchair already has far more motive efficiency - and there's designs with wheel pairs that allow newer-fangled wheelchairs to climb chairs, raise the user, etc. Two legs give a disabled person a more normal appearance; four legs do not.

Wheelchairs aren't even limited with normal pebble surfaces - and if a surface is unstable enough to cause a wheel problems, then it'll cause a robotic leg-replacement problems too.

Re:Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

I appreciate you're observations!

I, myself, am a disabled college student, and living on my own can really be a terribly difficult task at time. I have a powered wheelchair, which may I add is immense and very heavy. I can't just take this thing anywhere, if you know what I mean.

Until about 5 years ago, my batteries that power my chair, were unable to clear luggage. They were old styled water cell batteries, that if brought up to that altitude, would rupture and leak in the luggage section of the plane, causing some serious problems. Gladly, they fixed that problem at last, so I wouldn't require very expensive gel cell batteries.

Also, there's just some places you can't go with a wheelchair. No matter what. It requires people like myself to just be content with saying "Well, lets go elsewhere then," or "Maybe it will be accessible some day." I, personally, don't enjoy thinking like that.

Regardless, the robotic legs at the moment seem like an impractical idea and a possible hazzard. But look at it in a broader aspect, if we make a technology as such currently, we've got something to start with to make this possible.

I couldn't imagine what I'd do first if they gave me the chance to walk, even if it was robotic, artificial, hazzardous, and strange looking. I would not care, after all this time never taking a step on my own, no person can justify to me that it's a useless project.

--- Chi

Cue Dalek joke in 3... 2.... 1.... ACTION

[SmallFurryCreature]

Nice idea, wheelchairs are idiotic devices. Forget chairs, they can't even deal with a bit of loose sand. Broken up pavement? Going for a ride/walk in nature? Forget it.

If the device is going to be like the one in the picture I see another advantage. Raise the wheelchair user to eyelevel with standing people.

Of course this wouldn't be slashdot if someone didn't come up with a lame weak point. This thing can't be pushed if the battery runs out. Granted, electric wheel chairs especially the models used by the elderly can't be pushed without being handicapped yourselve but still.

Dean Kamen's wheelchair is way cooler

[ameline]

See; http://www.independencenow.com/home.html# It can climb up and down stairs, raise you up to eye level of other standing humans, handle gravel and other rougher terrain. Costs 20k, but If I needed a wheelchair, that's the one I'd get.

I am the pusher robot

[Random Destruction]

Even if the power doesn't fail, what if it trips? Who here has never fallen down the stairs, ever?
I forsee lawsuits in the future of this technology. "Wheelchair replacement protects grandma at the bottom of the stairs"

On the design

[chroma]

The legs appear to be made with 5 parallel actuators, much like the Stewart-Gough platform used in motion simulators, machine tools, and the like. This is an extremely stable design that is very fault tolerant and able to remain stable, even if any one of the actuators becomes disabled.