HAL Exoskeleton – Cyborg Powers for Everyone Soon?

One day, sooner than you may think, everyone could have cyborg powers enabling them to move around with much more ease. This  could mean vast life improvements for the disabled.

Cyberdyne has been working on exoskeleton called HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) for some time and have finally released it to the public in Japan. If you need the extra help to carry heavy objects ,or get around with less effort, Cyberdyne will rent out different parts of the skeleton (legs, arms, torso) for a monthly fee. However, it has not been announced when HAL will be available to the public for permanent purchase.

The HAL exoskeleton has robotic limbs that strap to your arms and legs — providing much fuller mobility than a wheelchair. The suit’s backpack contains a battery and computer controller. When a HAL-assisted person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles, and very weak traces of these signals can be detected on the surface of the skin. The HAL exoskeleton identifies these signals using a sensor, and a signal is sent to the suit’s power unit telling the suit to move in synch with the wearer’s own limbs.

This is some very cool technology that will hopefully one day be available to the public for permanent purchase. It will help the disabled, and make everyone look like futuristic cyborgs. You can check out a video of the legs in action below and Cyberdyne’s website here.

[Source h+]

Tags: Cyberdyne, exoskeleton, HAL, Japan