Power Assist Technology-fitted Electric Walking Aid is a robotic genius

For people with lower limb disabilities or those getting back on their feet after injuries, rehab and the physiotherapy routines that come with it can be a long-drawn and often costly process. Though most experts would never recommend electric walking aids to be used without supervision, this brand new innovation from Japanese developers Murata Manufacturing can prove to be a revolution in the way the world sees and approaches lower limb rehabilitation therapies. Showcased at the company’s stall at the CEATEC JAPAN 2011 tradeshow which is one of Japan’s premium technological show-and-tell even, the Electric Walking Assist Car is a brand new innovation that promises to ease the process of walking for patients.

Electric Walking Aid

Though the product looks like a cross between a Segway scooter and a bag-less vacuum cleaner, it actually comes fitted with a special fall-prevention technology that the company has previously used in their promotional robots named Murata Seiko-chan and Murata Seisaku-kun.

With power assist as well as fall prevention capabilities, this assistance car uses the principle of an inverted pendulum to control the tires while the tilt of the body is detected via special gyro sensors that allow the car to take pre-emptive action and keep its balance allowing the user to hold on to it even if they are unable to balance themselves fully on their lower limbs. When the car appears to be likely to fall over, these sensors stop the wheels from turning and redirect all the energy towards supporting the machine to maintain its vertical balance, thus preventing it from falling.

When it's pushed or pulled, the car gently moves forward and back using the same control system which allows gradual forward or back movement and lets the user develop greater walking independence over a period of usage. The light-weight assist car is also easy to maneuver and move and the company claims that it takes just finger’s push to move the car even when it's carrying additional weight like luggage.

The electric walking assistance car has currently been developed solely as a prototype version by Murata Manufacturing who are looking to draw attention of the medical and rehabilitation companies to back their product and suggest improvements needed to better the product for actual therapeutic usage. The developers also intend to market the product as a walking aid for seniors or people with disabilities who can use the assist car in the course of their daily routines as shopping carts, baby carriages, or as a bulky luggage carrier.

The company doesn’t have an official commercial release date planned for the Electric Walking Assist Car though they are hoping that the exhibition prototype would be sufficient to convey the basic idea behind the robot technology to users and use the received feedback to improve the design of the assistance car.

Via: DigInfo