Cyberdyne Inc., a robotics start-up company has developed the “HAL” wearable robotic suit. The suit’s name stands for Hybrid Assistive Limb. Cyberdyne was introducing robot suits for paralysed people, helping them to walk again by detecting their next move and lifting their muscles. It is very useful for our daily life.

Cyberdyne said its 22 pound (10 kilogram) “HAL” is equipped with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin. This enables the “HAL” robotic suit to fit on the body to assist and enhance a person’s own limb movements. When a person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal system as a consequence. At this moment, very weak biosignals can be detected on the surface of the skin. “HAL” catches these signals through a sensor attached on the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to move the joint unitedly with the wearer’s muscle movement, enabling to support the wearer’s daily activities. “HAL” has, but also a ‘robotic autonomous control system’ that provides human-like movement based on a robotic system which integrally work together with the ‘autonomous control system’.
“HAL” is expected to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field, ADL support for disabled people, heavy labour support at factories, and rescue support at disaster sites, as well as in the entertainment field.
Employees of a Japanese robotics company have been showing off a rehabilitation suit designed to help people with mobility problems on the streets of downtown Tokyo.




3 Responses to Japan’s Cyberdyne shows of new robot suit “HAL” in Tokyo
mikki
August 30th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
This sounds like the one in GI Joe The Rise of Cobra. Just that the movie have a better suit.
Demeerleer
May 26th, 2010 at 7:43 PM
Hello , does this also work for Parkinson patients ?
Grtz. Erwin
« very smart design » A Stronger You
June 28th, 2011 at 4:43 PM
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