Cyberdyne Robot Hybrid Assistive Limbs (HAL) Available To Rent In Japan This Week

As of this Friday, if you happen to live in Japan you'll be able to rent
robotic Hybrid Assistive Limbs (HALs) - in particular, robotic assistive
legs - from a Tokyo based company called Cyberdyne which have been
designed to help partially paralysed people, the elderly or those with
energy and/or muscle wasting disorders walk thanks to offering
additional support and weight bearing strength.

The robotic assistive legs, which are to be made available in three
sizes and which are worn around the user's waist whilst attaching to the
user's legs via mechanical braces to offer robotic assistance, will be
offered on a monthly rental basis costing around pound sterling1260
though a single leg version is also available for around pound
sterling839 per month.

Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, who designed
the device and is now Cyberdyne's chief executive has also indicated
that a full body HAL unit - known as the HAL-5 Type-B - is also
currently in development though it remains unclear at this stage as to
whether any of the devices will be offered for resale at any juncture or
will merely be offered on a rental basis (with Cyberdyne estimating that
500 units will be rented within the first year of availability).

[Photo Credit: AP]