#1
Fall 2008
6
Fast Blasts
I Am Ironman!
HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb)
Cybernetic Suit
Tristan Guillford
Cyberdyne Corporation of Japan, in
conjunction with Daiwa House, has begun
mass production of a cybernetic bodysuit
that augments body movement and
increases user strength by up to tenfold.
e HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb)
suit works by detecting faint bioelectrical
signals using pads placed on specific areas
of the body. e pads move the HAL suit
accordingly. e Cyberdyne website ex-
plains: "When a person attempts to move,
nerve signals are sent from the brain to the
muscles via motoneuron, moving the mus-
culoskeletal 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 at-
tached on the skin of the wearer. Based on
the signals obtained, the power unit is con-
trolled to wearer's daily activities."
Among the potential applications, Cy-
berdyne is emphasizing helping people
with movement disabilities, augmenting
strength for difficult industrial tasks, disas-
ter rescue, and entertainment.
e HAL suit is not currently available.
But according to Nikkei News, Daiwa and
Cyberdyne are planning an annual produc-
tion of 400 units and they should be mar-
keted at approximately $4,200 US dollars.
Resources
HAL
www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/index.html
Video of HAL
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynL8BCXih8U
I m a g e b y P r o f . S a n k a i , U n i v . o f Ts u k u b a / C Y B E R D Y N E I n c .
