HAL robot suit.

[monkeybus]

My wife just told me about this:

cyberdyne.jp/english/produc...

The website is in Japanese English, rental is around $1400 per month.

It's just been approved as a medical device in Japan.

Discuss.

[cdp71]

I have seen something like this before and have always thought that it would be great. However, I am sure that it is cost prohibitive, and I do not know if it is available in the US.

[monkeybus in reply to cdp71]

True, but this is just the beginning. We all know how fast technology moves these days. If there is a market for this stuff (and we all know that there is), there will be plenty of manufactures knocking them out.

And the cheap Chinese copies. Has to be good. I am going to seriously investigate this.

[cdp71 in reply to monkeybus]

My opinion has been that if they want do something to help people like us, they can and they can even make it affordable. Japan is a good market because they have an aging population and have the incentive to come up with something that helps us. My concern is that I see stuff like this all the time, but nothing seems to come from it. However, as my dad used to say when he was my baseball coach, "it only takes one."

[monkeybus in reply to cdp71]

I first remember seeing a robotic suit when I was 9 years old.

It was like something out of that film Avatar. Like the Michelin Man on steroids.

Google is pouring plenty of cash into robotics.

iphone.appleinsider.com/art...

Medical science doesn't seem to be doing much to help us walk again. This technology just might.