Japanese robot suit that optimises users’ steps and helps people walk again gets put through paces on 1,200km ancient pilgrimage route
- Created by the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Walk-Mate Lab and All Nippon Airways, the Walk-Mate robotic suit uses sensors and motors to stabilise users’ steps
- Test participants report feeling a ‘sense of togetherness’ when using the equipment, both with other walkers and the robotic suit
Hikers contemplating tackling some of the most daunting treks in Japan – such as the 1,200km (750-mile) pilgrimage that visits 88 temples on Japan’s Shikoku island – should soon be able to get a leg-up with the help of a robotic exoskeleton that optimises a walker’s gait.
The Tokyo Institute of Technology is collaborating with Tokyo-based tech venture Walk-Mate Lab and Japanese airline All Nippon Airways to explore the concept of a “new walking journey” that brings together ancient pilgrimages and modern robotics technology.
The companies have been testing their Walk-Mate robotic suit, an external skeleton that is strapped over the user’s clothing and comes equipped with sensors at the waist and ankles and a battery pack.
Originally designed to help people walk again who have suffered a stroke or have Parkinson’s, or another debilitating disease, the equipment synchronises and optimises the user’s steps and the rhythmic swinging of their arms.
While other robotic exoskeletons detect electrical impulses from muscles and then use the motors in the suit to mimic and enhance the actions of those muscles, the Walk-Mate uses the rhythm of walking to stabilise the user’s steps and get them into a settled and comfortable routine.