Visual Technology

Honda’s Bodyweight Support Assist

Posted on June 23rd, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Products, versus is vs, useful technology, more, not 24 hours, education.

Honda developed the Bodyweight Support Assist device to help support bodyweight to reduce the load on the user’s legs while walking, going up and down stairs and in a semi-crouching position, such as these associates demonstrate in Honda’s Saitama Factory in Japan.

Some of you may recall our piece on Honda’s Body Support Assist prototype last year. As a quick update to that story, those of you in the New York area will get a chance to see it in person as a part of the “Why Design Now?” exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

 

 

Honda’s unique device lightens the load on the user’s legs and helps maintain a center of gravity via special mechanisms developed by the company. Walking, crouching, climbing stairs - all become easier with help from Body Support Assist. Needless to say, there are plenty of use cases for such a product, not the least of which would be helping people afflicted with mobility issues or leg problems. Honda has a promo video (included below) demonstrating how the device is worn and operated.

The exhibition will feature a variety of innovations and designs intended to have a positive impact on our world, spanning the fields of engineering, energy, and conservation to name a few. If you can’t make it to New York in person, stay tuned to Cooper Hewitt’s YouTube channel for updated videos clips featuring smart design.
‘Why Design Now?’ Event Details:

The show will run from May 14, 2010 to January 9, 2011 at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum on 2 East 91st Street, Manhattan. More information is available via their website, cooperhewitt.org.

Source: Honda

 

REMEMBER :Honda’s prototype walking assist devices to go on show in the US

With increasing numbers of post-war baby boomers beginning to face old age, devices assisting people remain mobile as they grow older will become big business. Honda, which started out making motorcycles, has anticipated the needs of an aging population and invested heavily in mobility robotics research. The company is planning to demonstrate its prototype walking assist devices as part of a technical exhibition at the 2009 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, at Detroit’s Cobo Center, from April 20 to 23. Prior to the Detroit event, Honda plans to put the devices through their paces for media in New York.

www.honda.com

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