Here in the U.S., suits that give wearers super strength are locked up in military-funded labs. In Japan, however, researchers and entrepreneurs are teaming up to rent the exoskeletons out for "70,000 yen [$590] a month plus a maintenance fee," Japan Times reports. University of Tsukuba professor Yoshiyuki Sankai, designer of the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) "power-assist system," is the brains behind the robo-muscle operation, directed at the elderly and infirmed. His suit, which allegedly enhances leg-strength by 80 percent, has already helped a paralyzed man go mountain-climbing in Switzerland. Now, Sankai is going into business with Daiwa House Industry Co., which has "started constructing a manufacturing facility recently to produce 400 to 500 suits annually starting in 2008." If a wearer wants to move a limb, its motor, reading signals from the brain, will go into action, and the hands and legs will move together with the suit. Its special feature is that the suit’s hands and legs do not move on their own, but the person can move them at will, Sankai said. A polio sufferer could walk, although with a limp, and even a person with a spinal disability could walk with its help, he said. But there may be a military market for Sankai, yet. I bet soldiers wouldn’t hate their Land Warrior wearable electronics quite so much, if they had some super-strength to help carry all that gear around. While he’s at it, maybe Sankai could equip the exoskeletons with sewn-in stun guns. ----- The anime is becoming reality... !!!
Wow.. check this out The company developing the limbs is called "Cyberdyne", if I'm not mistaken, that's the corporation that created Skynet in the Terminator movies, coincidence?
Seen it on the Discovery Channel awhile ago but didn't think they where in to production yet they where still having trouble with delicate operations and a few other problems when discovery did the story. But the guy did say they where close. I took it as scientist close as in 20 years it might be ready . I know the U.S. Army had a program for a powered weapon system but haven't heard any thing about it for about 10 years though. That probably means they got it working but couldn't get the funding to put in to production. Or they got it working and it went top secret or something.
The army has an exoskeletal system built. Only problem is that it has to stay hooked up to a power source to work for longer than 10 minutes.
LMAO wow that gave me a good laugh That's pretty awesome though, I'd like to get my hands on one of those suits. I wouldn't be surprised if Rob Dyrdek got one and messed around with it on his Fantasy Factory show.
Apparently you can "rent" a suit for 70,000 yen.. which comes out to be about $2200 a month (I think) ---- http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/04/hal-2.jpg Here is what they look like now; give it a few more years and it'll look like the exoskeleton out of Metal Gear Solid or off of the new G.I Joe movie.
start learning now how to repairs these...you will have it made on easy street..in 10 years easy street,Japan. that would be sweet...
google's currency converter has 70, 000 yen at 742.98 usd. sounds kind of cheap for a supersuit for a month
they probably think of it as like renting a forklift for the company, except it cant get things from super high places
I wonder what will be the first sports with these...could be some great X games...see who is the first to do a triple back flip... special made skate boards..bikes....would be awesomeness refined (snowboards?..might not do well to get these wet yet) anything else Im forgetting?
battle walker from same developer. bf2142! kind slow and klunky,one of those and 2000 asimos with m16's .robo wars.
I wonder if their product's name is referring to the "evil" computer (HAL 9000) from the Space Odyssey novels/movies. I wouldn't be surprised if it is, given there's already a video game company named after that character.