The "Robot Suit" Launches in Japan
From: Rehab Management - October 2003 - page 10

A robot-powered suit that helps people with disabilities walk and perform
other activities is about to be marketed in Japan. 

The "robot suit," which is called HAL-3 (Hybrid Assistive Leg), contains a
backpack with a computer and batteries, in addition to four actuators that
attach to the knees and hip joints. Developed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, a
professor and engineer at Tsukuba University, Tokyo, the suit enables its
wearer to walk, get up stairs, and sit down without a wheelchair. Its
motor-powered attachments guide leg movement, while the computer calculates
the wearer’s next movement by detecting electric signals from the muscle. 

Wearing the suit, a user can walk at speeds up to 2.5 miles per hour. The
suit itself weighs 37 pounds, though that weight will reportedly be decreased. 

More than 30 Tokyo companies have signed on to set up a joint venture with
the goal of selling the product to hospitals and nursing-care facilities in
Japan and internationally. The companies hope to sell 100 of the $8,440 suits
every year. 

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