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Honda's Exoskeletons Help You Walk Like Asimo
kkleiner writes "Honda has created two walking exoskeletons based on Asimo research that assist humans in walking. The Bodyweight Support Assist exoskeleton is a set of thin legs attached to a seat. Users sit on the seat and slip their feet into shoes on the robotic legs. This system supports bodyweight to assist people in walking and moving up and down steps. The other, Stride Management Assist, is a brace worn around the hips and thighs that provides added strength when flexing that joint. It's currently under development and being tested by 130 patients in the field. Both devices may prove to be valuable tools in helping the elderly maintain their mobility, assisting the disabled, and easing the stress on physical laborers."
Any dude who has ever had a bike seat interact harshly with their crotch area will likely cringe when they think a little bit about this one. It's a powered crutch... that uses your crotch instead of your armpits.
Ryan Fenton
When they mention physical laborers, I start wondering if these type of exoskeletons will restrict us in some areas too. Would I for example be able to run as fast with one as without one? What about jumping or dodging to avoid a fast moving object?
We are all God's parents.
http://singularityhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/honda-exoskeleton-walker.jpg
Did they really need to put a man there? I feel the pain in my nuts already.
My X-Rays were delayed once because a virus got into the radiology systems. The images came on CD with handy DLLs which I would not have touched even if I used windows.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
"Well, I wonder what will happen when the exoskeleton will be infected by a virus"
Just something like this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrong_Trousers
Its like they've got the Wrong Trousers.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
The one with the legs a bit too bent and like you have no calf muscles?
No sig today...
I've always wanted to walk through a sim city as a sim.
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Given that all the stupid computers in hospitals are running windows, this threat is actually already there, and does not seem to have caused many problems so far. Yet, I'm still very anxious to see these things more and more popular.
With a year's experience working in a public hospital purchasing office I found (without searching) many critical security flaws in the processes. For example, the European Procurement Announcement agency regularly sends catalogs of EU-wide procurements in CD's that require Windows and autorun to function. The CD would start a web server off the disk and launch Internet Explorer to interface with the server. In other words, we regularly executed programs from CD's we got by mail in a very simple (and easy to replicate) packaging, on the same computers we use to make very expensive purchases (believe me, hospital equipment isn't cheap).
But can you toss an alien queen out an airlock with it??? Inquiring minds want to know!
Well it is a Japanese product and I doubt they have the same issues. What they do have is a huge number of really old people. If it gets used by obese people in western countries then we can take comfort from the short battery life. Maybe it should come with a complaining voice. Load limit exceeded...
http://michaelsmith.id.au
This reminds me a lot of an advertisement in the Solo of Fortune magazine released for the Cyberpunk pen & paper RPG.
"Russian cyberleg not pretty, but no matter when kick hole in tank, yes?"
http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=1106 This one. Very funny read.
Coz eternity my friend, is a long *ing time.
...that's all fine and well, but can it make you walk like Awesom-o?
Living With a Nerd
You won't care for the looks when you're 70 and unable to walk with assistance.
...like that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASoCJTYgYB0
No thanks ;)
What they do have is a huge number of really old people...
Er, not as many as they thought they had...
They will never know the simple pleasure of a monkey knife fight
Perhaps Honda is late to the party with this one, but you'll note that the link you've provided points to a suit called HAL, made by Cyberdyne.
You think that the ball-cupping of the Honda suit is bad?
- Alrighty, let's pick up this heavy box.
- I'm sorry John, I can't let you do that.
- Wait, what? Why? Hold on, my name isn't John.
- Target acquired.
*Bend* *Bend* *Fold* CRRRRUNCH! Aaaiiirrrghh!!
-Terminated.
~Syberz
As a person with some mobility issues due to nerve damage, I can certainly see myself using such a device as this. After watching the selected movies of it in action, I could visualize how the forces that this machine exerts, would assist cases like mine. I have difficulty controlling my legs. I know this machine doesn't actually make the decisions about muscle control, but it still would help a segment of people with some nerve damage that affects the force and feedback required for steady motion. If some of the forces required to walk were reduced with an aid, then control would be improved. You see, as you exert more force you become more unstable because the nerves to fire the muscles aren't firing strong enough, no do they react or give feedback the same way, as those loads increase. Lighter loads are easier. Remove some of that muscular force required to stand and walk and you would become more stable. It's not just about simply removing dead weight from the legs. With this I would focus less about how hard I need to exert those forces and far more on the control for balance and movement if half the strength needed was removed. It would make a big improvement to stability control. That makes a huge difference for people with some level of nerve damage in getting around safely without stumbling etc. I don't think most people see it this way when they look at this device in action. It's not all about strength.
Is there any reason why the exoskeleton should have any vulnerabilities to viruses? I can't see a reason you'd put a USB port, an optical drive, or Internet access on one of these. I mean, I suppose you could somehow flash the virus into the circuitry, if you had that kind of access to it, but for an end user product, how likely is that?
With more and more devices allowing and requiring firmware updates, it wouldn't be so surprising to have to hook up these legs to a computer occasionally to upgrade the control software. This would leave it open to attack in many ways. Many people who bought the movie Avatar complained about the need for a firmware update just to watch the movie, when you have software controlling your leg movement (or assisting, whatever) what is to say that there won't be bug fixes, or even modifications to the software for a persons personal leg gait.
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Is this a joke?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTlV0Y5yAww
What's next?
Swim like an Anvil(tm)?
Fly like a Potato Sack(tm)?
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
That's just not going to happen. You can get a Segway for a few grand. My dad was in power wheelchairs for the last 12 years of his life. His last two cost $25,000. Each. These exoskeletons will be a lot more. No one is going to buy them just because "They're cool." Insurance companies are going to buy them for people who actually need them.
"I disagree with you" does not equal "flamebait."