If you have seen any of the Terminator movies, you've probably heard the name Cyberdyne at least once or twice. And to my shock, today I learned that Cyberdyne is not just a fictional company name, it turns out this is a real company based out of Japan. And guess what they specialize in ... yup that's right, robotics.
After a whole 30 seconds browsing their website, I came across this beauty. This is the Robot Suit HAL. When I first laid eyes on this my heart skipped a beat... this was eerily similar to the powerloader from that Alien movie from years ago, or the 'mech suits' from video games, except this was real.
The Robot Suit HAL is designed to expand and improve on the physical capabilities of the wearer. Using a internal battery drive and weighing only 23kg, this suit can transform a ordinary person into a Robotic Mech!
According to the website: " When a person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from
the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal
system as a consequence. At this moment, very weak biosignals can be
detected on the surface of the skin. "HAL" catches these signals
through a sensor attached on the skin of the wearer. Based on the
signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to move the joint
unitedly with the wearer's muscle movement, enabling to support the
wearer's daily activities. This is what we call a 'voluntary control
system' that provides movement interpreting the wearer's intention from
the biosignals in advance of the actual movement. Not only a 'voluntary
control system' "HAL" has, but also a 'robotic autonomous control
system' that provides human-like movement based on a robotic system
which integrally work together with the 'autonomous control system'.
"HAL" is the world's first cyborg-type robot controlled by this unique
Hybrid System. "HAL" is expected to be applied in various fields such
as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical
field, ADL support for disabled people, heavy labour support at
factories, and rescue support at disaster sites, as well as in the
entertainment field."
There's a lot that can be done with this, and no doubt military minds have already considered the MechWarrior possibilities. But for the average person technology such as this could assist those with damaged limbs or difficulty walking or climbing, or those working in heavy labor work environments. This is an astronomical step in the field of robotics and cybernetics and I am eager to see what the future of Cyberdyne brings us..... just no SkyNet Please.
No comments:
Post a Comment