Take a load off with Honda's walking aid
Experimental walking-assistant device lets people's legs do the walking while taking take some of the weight off leg muscles and joints.
Honda's new support system can do stairs.
(Credit: Honda)See all the cool things we'll have to look forward to when we're older?
Honda unveiled another experimental walking-assistant device on Friday that lets people's legs still do the walking while taking take some of the weight off leg muscles and joints. The device looks like a follow-up to another walking aid from Honda shown off earlier this year.
With the latest one, a person steps into the device shoes and leans back into the high seat. Honda does the rest by supporting a large portion of the person's body weight during walking, stair-climbing, or even squatting.
The seat level can be adjusted for different heights. People wear their own shoes and place them into the device shoes. The device is controlled through an individual's body movement with the assisting force from two motors being automatically directed toward the person's center of gravity to maintain balance, according to Honda.
The technology applied to the device grew out of studies Honda research groups did to develop walking techniques for Asimo, its humanoid robot.
Honda announced it will begin testing the device this month at its assembly plant in Sayama, Saitama, Japan.
