Honda unveils gadget for aged and workers

Honda, world's largest manufacturer of 2-wheelers has developed a device that is capable of efficiently reducing the strain on people's knees. The device is designed in such a way that it would help individuals climb the stairs, side by side enabling him to remain in crouching position.

This device may be most useful for people on assembly lines or in factories.

Honda’s new and innovative wearable assisted-walking device would act as an artificial helping hand, permanently at the service of its owner. This device has been designed particularly for the utilization by factory workers and assembly lines or making a lot of deliveries.

Honda uncovered the new walking assistant in Tokyo. According to the report of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker said as per their plans a trial sample of the new technology will be tested on assembly-line workers by the end this month.

The new gadget has a weight of nearly 14 pounds. It is convenient to use and carry.

Also, to demonstrate the functioning of the new gizmo, a video featuring auto workers wearing the assisted-walking device on an assembly line while looking underneath vehicles was shown.

An individual needs to place the seat of the device between his legs than slip his feet into the gadget's shoes and finally, switch the machine on to start walking. The walk will be automatic.

Where machinery is concerned, shoes and the seat of the device are interconnected with motor-driven metal legs that help an individual to walk. It’s not just a battery-powered device rather it also has a computer and sensors which work and respond depending on the wearer’s movements.

At the company's Tokyo headquarters, Honda engineer Jun Ashihara stated that the device is easy to use, just like a bicycle. "It reduces stress, and you should feel less tired,” he added.

The price of the device is yet not decided. Honda is one of those companies that are involved in making robotic devices for the elderly and other people with weakened leg muscles. As per the market research, market for such robotic devices is anticipated to grow especially, in countries that have large aging populations, like Japan and the United States.

Toyota and Cyberdyne are also involved in developing such robotic devices for the aged.