A byproduct of Honda Motor Co.'s development of the Asimo humanoid robot may be about to come to the aid of Japan's aging population.
"The Stride Management Assist device helps the elderly lengthen their stride when they walk and in doing so helps them to walk faster," Kiyoshi Oikawa, from Honda's Fundamental Technology Research Center, said last month while unveiling the SMA.
The device, which weighs 2.4 kg, is worn like a belt around the waist and comes with a minicomputer mounted on the back that analyzes a variety of factors, including the length of the user's stride and the terrain. The data are transferred to a motor angle sensor located at the top of each thigh that rotates and assists a user's stride.