A bionic suit called the Hybrid Assistive Limb or HAL will be made available for purchase by the end of this year for less than $19,000. The robotic exoskeleton boosts musle power for both the legs and arms, enabling you to lift, for example, some 40 kilograms more than you otherwise could.
The suit works by providing its wearer an exoskeleton strapped to the legs and a backpack that contains a computer and wireless connectivity.
Bioelectric sensors attached to the skin monitor the movements of the wearer, and send that information to the computer, which in turn controls the robotic limbs. So when the user takes a step, the exoskeleton instantly takes a step also, providing artificial muscles that assist in walking, standing and even climbing stairs.
Researchers say the response time of the bio suit is actually faster than a human's own internal signals between brain and muscle.
The system reportedly stores memories of specific walking and movement patterns, which are recalled when the HAL suit is used again.
Leading uses for the suit include help for people with brain injuries as well as the elderly -- a kind of wheelchair replacement.
The technology was developed over the past decade by Yoshiyuki Sankai at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. (www.mikeslist.com)
