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Honda Prototypes Latest Walking Assist Machines

techradar.com — Car manufacturer Honda is prototyping a new range of walking assist machines in the US to help the disabled and elderly.

Who dugg this? Made popular Apr 16, 2009

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39 Comments

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  • GroundIsSound, on 04/16/2009, -0/+9Wow! i had no idea this tech was this far along. first step towards an iron man suit i hope. or at least a first step towards a bunch of marathon running grandmas.
  • serif69, on 04/16/2009, -0/+9FTA: "Honda's latest walking assist devices for the disabled, elderly and terminally lazy"

    Sign me up!
  • diggydougie, on 04/16/2009, -1/+8I hope this catches on with the old people. I'm tired of the scooter set.
  • AndrewMoyer, on 04/16/2009, -0/+7Honda sure has a leg up on the competition.
    They really know how to step up to the challenge.
    How'd you like to walk a mile in their shoes?

    (that's all I got)
  • pushmouse, on 04/16/2009, -0/+4I'm holding out for the face-palm assist machine.
  • osteor10, on 04/16/2009, -0/+4"I'm thinking about getting metal legs. It's a risky operation, but it'll be worth it. "
  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -0/+3My guess is that it wont be cheap, and not avail to everyone...that is if it get pass the prototype stage.
  • inigomntoya, on 04/16/2009, -0/+3I hope I get invited into this prototyping.

    Me: Oh my god! Look out! These legs have a mind of their own!
    Them: Stop kicking me in the crotch!

  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -0/+3Yes but you fail to realise that, although using clunky motors, this product a: actually exists and b: works. Japan may be behind in the tech, but theyre way ahead in the production - Think ASIMO, Aibo, Qurio and all the other robot products they've released

    Would be a simple matter to convert it when the alternate technology becomes available
  • pitdog, on 04/16/2009, -0/+2Honda make some cool stuff: this thingy, their cool robots and the hydrogen car (much better, than stupid electric cars powered by batteries).
  • thelove, on 04/17/2009, -0/+2"In a move which sci-fi fans are sure to see as part of the ongoing march towards becoming cyborgs..." Hahaha, touche.
  • Chompy, on 04/16/2009, -0/+2It is a common misconception, but as someone who used to work for Honda Corporate (in Torrance CA) I can tell you that working there sucks for everyone except the engineers. They very much follow the "Japanese model" of workplace culture. Shirt and tie everyday, even if you have no interaction with clients. Everyone works in one gigantic open room; the seniormost people are in the middle like spiders and the lowest on the totem pole out on the fringes. They pay really well but that environment just sucks the soul out of you; I was actually *glad* to get back into a cube after that.

    Honda comes up with awesome stuff because for the engineers it's like working at Google, but for everyone else it's a corporate Hell on Earth.
  • nurbsenvi, on 04/16/2009, -1/+3And next thing you know BAM! herpes... or world war 3
  • peteyb1313, on 04/16/2009, -0/+2Grandma's Boy? amiright?
  • shortypeople, on 04/19/2009, -0/+1wtf with all the comments on "lazy". obviously nobody making comments lives with herniated disks and degenerative disk disease or spinal cord injuries. nothing to do with "lazy". this thing is pure awesome.
  • bwolf180, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1ill wait till they come out with the full body skeleton so i can lift a ton
  • airship, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1And here I am, waling on my own like a sucker!
  • inigomntoya, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1Me too! I can't wait to kick your ass in the next race walking competition!
  • nullcodes, on 04/16/2009, -1/+2Actually the links I meant to paste were:

    http://www.physorg.com/news11844.html

    AND

    http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/323 ...
  • Noein, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1It's a common misconception that people in Japan are way overworked compare to US. I've met many engineers in US with long work hours. From what I've heard, people in US auto industry is under worked and overpaid, and the unions only makes it worse.
  • llopez1223, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1Thank the living god aka The Emperor of Japan for allowing Kaibatsu's to exist.

    BTW Kaibatsu's are trusts from like the late 1860's.
  • phosphite, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1I wonder how fast this thing makes you run when it hits VTEC!
  • TBITS, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1Reminds me of Dark Angel
  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1Simple prosthetic legs cost $20,000 each. Damn straight it won't be cheap. Probably around $500,000 or more.
  • AriseNow, on 04/16/2009, -0/+1Avoiding the comments on some stories on Digg makes such a machine unneeded.
  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -2/+3jesus.. someone cranky?
  • Homerr, on 04/17/2009, -1/+1Fat people will get fatter now.
  • christoast, on 04/16/2009, -1/+1Humans are so weak.
  • gordigor, on 04/16/2009, -1/+1Sciences FTW! and the bible said only Jesus could make the lame walk.
  • chuckiesd, on 04/17/2009, -1/+1Good to prevent the lazy people right now. Thanks Honda who think about it
  • thcobbs, on 04/16/2009, -1/+1Well, just develop a rampant culture of 80 hour weeks and loyalty to the company above anything else....
  • alex7575, on 04/16/2009, -1/+1"Honda's latest walking assist devices for the disabled (crap), elderly (*****) and terminally lazy (woohoo)"
  • AznViperXT, on 04/17/2009, -0/+0VTAK just kicked in yo.
  • nigelmansell, on 04/17/2009, -1/+1honda better make these robots from size xxs to xxxxxL. Fat Albert's gotta fit in one of these.
  • GnarKill69, on 04/16/2009, -1/+0It'd be a good way to make fat people lose some weight if they could secretly control it to malfunction and cause massive amounts of running. I think it'd be hilarious to see a bunch of worried, sweaty fat people screaming because their robot legs won't stop.
  • cplusplus, on 04/16/2009, -2/+1More fat asses.
  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -5/+3way to go, US automakers!

    sigh..
  • nullcodes, on 04/16/2009, -4/+2They use bulky motors instead of EAPs (electro active polymers) or artificial muscles.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/09032 ...

    There is no future in using motors for robotics. So actually all the money Japan/Japanese companies are spending on robotics is a waste .. some MIT or Stanford startup can easily overtake them.

    Japan is far behind when it comes to artificial muscles.
  • inactive, on 04/16/2009, -4/+1(\(\
    ( - -)
    ((') (') I could use that

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