I (sigh) Robot

Reminds me of Alien. As long as the makers of this stuff do not forget that geriatric grandma's tend to suffer from osteoporosis and carrying this thing could be a bone breaker... PS It's a Honda Jim, but not as we know it... TOKYO (AFP) - As Japan greys, who will look after the elderly? Maybe one day their aging children -- in robot suits -- if technology under development comes out of the laboratory and into the home

Among the array of futuristic products for the senior citizens or their caregivers on display at a trade fair this week in Tokyo was a power assist suit that makes it easier to lift an elderly person out of a wheelchair or bed.

The suit looks clunky, takes 10 minutes to put on, weighs thirty kilos (66 pounds) and has blinking lights and wires reminiscent of a robot in a sci-fi movie.

But it allows the wearer to lift a person as heavy as 100 kilos as if they were carrying only half that weight.

"I don't feel heavy at all. Because of air pumped in the suit, I just feel like I'm carrying a normal backpack," said Hiroi Tsukui, a participant in the project as she carried a young man onto a table to demonstrate to onlookers.

For now the suit, developed by Kanagawa Institute of Technology, is only made to order and generally targeted at nursing homes and hospitals.

But Tsukui hopes it will be used in ordinary homes in the future.

"Of course 80-year-olds won't be able to wear this. But perhaps for their children who are in their 50s and need to take care of their parents, this could prove to be useful," she added.

Japan, which has one of the world's lowest birth rates and yet forbids immigration, is increasingly turning to robots to take care of rudimentary tasks in hospitals and nursing homes as the young population dwindles.

Researchers are also looking to improve "robot suits" for the elderly to wear themselves for more autonomy, instead of relying on caregivers or their children.

A "muscle suit" developed by Tokyo University of Science also allows the wearer to lift heavy objects.

The half-body suit incorporates artificial muscles made of elastic rubber and nylon and air pumps for the arms.

Hiroshi Kobayashi, an associate professor at the university that spearheaded the project, admitted that hurdles remain before it could be easily used.

The suit, which weighs four kilos, presents "some safety concerns for elderly people," he said.

"So for now we have limited the suit to caretakers or even construction workers whom I think would benefit greatly from this. But we hope in the future this will give old people more mobility with their arms," he added.

Another product designed to give elderly greater mobility is auto giant Honda Motor's "Walking Assist" product which can help the elderly walk independently without the help of a cane, walking frame or arm of a carer.

It's a chunky belt with sensors and leg straps that monitor leg movements to help the user walk correctly.

As the person walks, a device behind the thigh pushes the leg forward and once he or she steps on the ground, another one at the front of the thigh pushes inwards, stabilising the user.

The belt is currently only a prototype, as its three-kilo weight could be a little too heavy for a frail elderly man or woman.

Taiji Koyama, an assistant chief designer at Honda R&D Co., hopes that in the near future his team, which has spent eight years on the project, will be able to make the belt lighter and easier for the elderly.

"We hope to roll this out as a product as soon as possible so people will be able to use it," the engineer said.

"It is a lot lighter than 'muscle suits' that use artificial muscle. They still have a long way to go to become mainstream as they remain difficult to wear," he added.