Pop Japan

Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is an exoskeleton made by the Cyberdyne, a Japanese robotics company and Tsukuba university and proposed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, a Tsukuba University professor. The robotic suit was designed to make simple movements such as lifting and walking. It fuses information technology, human and machine power. 

HAL operates by using the signals received by the sensors in the skin.  The robot detects those faint signals and assists the body in providing those movements. HAL was designed to assist physically challenged people and the elderly.

Features

- A graphical control interface to start, stop and change the HAL assistance.
- Synchronization of movement and intention by using sensors that can detect the bio-electric signals from the skin.
- Graphical monitor for identifying the status and functionality of the device.
 - According to the Cyberdyne, the length is 430mm, the width is 470mm and the height: 1, 230mm.
   the weight is 14 kg for double-leg model and 9kg for the single-leg model.
  Operates for an hour in a custom battery.

Tags: japanese technology, assistive technology, disability robots, 2012 robots, japanese inventions, medical robots, robots of japan, robotic exoskeletons