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.

This is dynamic standing, not walking. Still great

[chriss]

I think this is great, but it will still take some time to be used in daily life. This looks like one of the biped robots we have seen in the last years who has the possibility to carry a person. These bots can balance each step, but they are always in balance. A person which is walking or running is not in a permanent state of standing, but falling. To move forward at a reasonable pace you have to abandon stability and use gravity to draw you forward and reestablishing balance once you set down your foot.

This is difficult enough on a fixed floor (watch babies learn to walk), but much harder on something like grass or inside a moving train. Considering how long it took to get robots to even stand it will still take some time to walk. So if you depend on a wheelchair today and would like to actually move at decent speeds, you may be out of luck for some time.

What about failure

[holdenholden]

When this contraption fails (because it will, inevitably), I don't want to be the one caught under it. A wheelchair may be inconvenient, but at least will not break your neck in case of a mechanical failure. And if the battery goes dead, a wheelchair can be moved using hands or somebody can push it. If this thing looses power, you are pretty much stuck.

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.

The plan is for people with broken necks to use it

[technoextreme]

A wheelchair may be inconvenient, but at least will not break your neck in case of a mechanical failure.

You see the plan is to market it to people who have all ready broken their neck. They really won't care if they break it a second time because well what are they going to complain about. They are all ready a parapalegic.

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.

Re:ease of use

[Scrameustache]

It takes two joysticks to control... how much of an improvement is this over wheelcheers?

Why don't you try going up a flight of stairs in a wheelchair and get back to us with your results?
You'll want to count the number of hands you're using to turn the wheels too...

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"

Fearsom Four beware!

[kippy]

Pfft, Stephen Hawking has had this beat for years.