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Honda will showcase an experimental model of a walking assist device which could
support walking for the elderly and other people with weakened leg muscles, at
the International Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the
Elderly & the Disabled (BARRIER FREE 2008) which will be held at Intex Osaka,
Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27, 2008. The cooperative control
technology utilized for Honda walking assist device is a unique Honda innovation
achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the research and
development of technologies was conducted for Honda’s advanced humanoid robot,
ASIMO.
Press release : The compact design of the device was achieved with flat
brushless motors and a control system developed by Honda. Honda began research
of a walking assist device in 1999 with a goal to provide more people with the
joy of mobility. Currently, the device has entered into the feasibility stage.
Honda is planning to offer interested attendees an opportunity to wear and
experience this walking assist device at the Honda booth at BARRIER FREE 2008.
TOKYO, Japan, April 22, 2008– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will showcase an
experimental model of a walking assist device which could support walking for
the elderly and other people with weakened leg muscles(*), at the International
Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the Elderly & the
Disabled (BARRIER FREE 2008) which will be held at Intex Osaka, Friday, April 25
through Sunday, April 27, 2008 (Organizers: Osaka Prefecture Council of Social
Welfare and Television Osaka Inc.)
Honda began research of a walking assist device in 1999 with a goal to provide
more people with the joy of mobility. Currently, the device has entered into the
feasibility stage.
The cooperative control technology utilized for this device is a unique Honda
innovation achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the
research and development of technologies was conducted for Honda’s advanced
humanoid robot, ASIMO. Applying cooperative control based on the information
obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on
a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user’s stride will be
lengthened compared to the user’s normal stride without the device and therefore
the ease of walking is achieved.
The compact design of the device was achieved with flat brushless motors and a
control system developed by Honda. In addition, a simple design to be worn with
a belt around the hip and thigh was employed to help achieve overall weight as
light as approximately 2.8kg. As a result, the device reduces the user’s load
and can be fit to different body shapes.
The research of this device is being conducted by the Fundamental Technology
Research Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. in Wako, Saitama.
Honda is planning to offer interested attendees an opportunity to wear.
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