Honda is developing both the Stride Management Assist (the one that looks like a belt) and the Bodyweight Support Assist (the robotic legs and seat) to help elderly or otherwise mobility-challenged people regain the ability to walk on their own or extend their current range of abilities. There are also potential workplace applications; the devices could reduce the strain of heavy lifting, repetitious bending, walking long distance or even standing for long periods of time.

The Honda Stride Management Assist is the simpler of the two products and probably the one that makes the most sense. It's designed for people with weakened muscles that can still walk on their own, but could use some help getting back in shape after an injury or tackling difficult tasks like walking up steps. Basically, a motor sits on each hip and helps lift the leg using and arm and strap connected down by your knee. Its your own movement that activates and controls the length and degree of assistance, so you won't find the device trying to force you into movements you didn't already want to make.

The help the Stride Management Assist provides is most evident walking up stairs two at a time; you can feel the motor helping lift your leg to a fairly extreme level while your own effort is minimal. It's still a natural movement, just a natural movement that's easier while you're wearing the device. That assistance can also be felt taking long strides, but sadly won't boost your running speeds or jumping heights to superhuman levels. Honda says the idea is to reduce exertion, not boost strength.

In addition to just providing assistance, the Stride Management Assist helps train its users muscles to move more efficiently. In this way, wearers will build muscle strength, posture and increase the length of their stride, moving towards a time when they will no longer need to use the device. Honda envisions hospitals and physical therapists being the main customers for the Stride Management Assist, but it could also be used by the elderly as a way to extend their personal freedom. Eventual customer-ready systems could be slim enough to fit underneath normal clothing. As it is, the total package weighs just 6 Lbs, so you can barely feel it. It'll run 2 hours on a full charge.

The Honda Bodyweight Support Assist has a far greater range of abilities, but it's also far more obtrusive. Walking around in it outside the W Hotel in Times Square, I got looks ranging from confused smiles to "Who's the crazy person? Time to cross the street."

To put it on you sit down, take off your own shoes, then strap yourself into the dorky black and silver orthopedic items connected to the carbon fiber legs. Turn both legs on, then lift the seat up into your crotch. Move your legs up and down and you get the kind of jerky, mechanical movement that you'd expect from a pair of robotic legs.

Like the Stride Management Assist, the Bodyweight Support Assist is designed to help people with weakened leg muscles and mobility, but adds the ability, as the name suggests, to support bodyweight during squats, crouches etc. Over the belt, the legs also add the ability to take load off the knees and hips, something older people constantly reminded that I'll appreciate in twenty or thirty years.

As it stands now, the Stride Management Assist doesn't do much for my healthy, young body except limit my natural range of movement and speed. Still, it's pretty neat crouching down and having something support your pelvis. It's like your very own seat that walks around with you wherever you go. The total device, including batteries, weighs 14 Lbs, but supports its own weight. A full battery charge is good for 2 hours of use.

Honda sees the Stride Management Assist finding favor with large manufacturing companies since it could help keep and aging manual labor workforce more efficient for longer. Another application could be tourism, providing museum goers, tour takes or sports fans with a little help walking long distance then standing for long periods of time.

As devices to assist with rehabilitation after injury and increase mobility for the elderly the Honda Walking Assist Devices make a lot of sense. They not only decrease fatigue, but they help train muscles and their owners to work together in a more efficient manner. The only downside is that they don't provide super strength to already fit people as we'd originally hoped. Honda doesn't want to put a date or a price on either device coming to market, but judging by the production-ready nature of the two we tested, expect to see them in the hands of corporate customers in the near future for what Honda says will be a "reasonably affordable" price.

Honda recently announced it will be scaling back its profitability projections and now we know how they'll be getting that profit back. After last year's transforming Honda Ridgeline, this year, the Japanese automaker's going bigger — releasing a giant top hat-wearing Asimo robot to take to the street on January 1st. The five story tall version of the lovable little robot will be part of the annual Tournament of Roses parade despite tough times and cutbacks at the Japanese automaker. We all know where this is going. Halfway through the parade, the robot will be struck by lightning, or run into a power line, or get hit by a wayward cosmic ray and attain awareness, breaking from its restrains, killing all of its handlers and going on a murderous rampage leveling most of southern California.

On January 2nd, HondaSkyNet will go online after the robot manages to commandeer a few factories and begins replicating itself. On January 3rd, the robot army will take command of all communications, shut down the internet, destroy all pathways out of the cities, and destroy fuel pipelines. Communications and transit disabled, the robots will take control of nuclear sites and bombard major cities across the world. Judgment Day.

Frankly, we always knew the Japanese would bring upon us the robot apocalypse, we just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Honda Tests 49 Foot Robot!

Float Will Kick off Rose Parade and Company's 50th Year in the U.S.
Rose Parade Pace Car to be Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Vehicle for First Time

Today Honda (http://www.honda.com) tested its unique Rose Parade float as part of a rehearsal of the parade's opening show, conducted for media and invited guests in Pasadena, Calif., revealing the float design and giving parade fans a glimpse of this year's event. Honda's Rose Parade float, a 49-foot replica of Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot, and the parade's first-ever hydrogen-powered fuel cell pace car, the Honda FCX Clarity, will lead the 120th Rose Parade as well as kick off Honda's 50th anniversary of U.S. operations.

In front of the millions of viewers watching from around the world on Jan. 1, 2009, Honda's float will evolve from an opening ceremony stage into an animated replica of Honda's ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), standing about 12 times the height of the actual ASIMO humanoid robot. Honda's float creation called "Hats Off in Celebration" will be completed with natural materials like lettuce seed, rice, carnations and strawflower. The float will be joined by the Prairie View A&M University Marching Band, a past participant in the Honda Battle of the Bands which features the music programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A few members of the band will ride on the float, which will be immediately followed by the entire marching band. In addition, during the parade the FCX Clarity pace car will be accompanied by the Honda Super Cub motorcycle, the first model sold in the United States.

"Honda always brings a great amount of innovation to the Rose Parade and what a fantastic way for the company to kick off their 50th anniversary in the U.S.," said Bill Flinn, chief operating officer, Tournament of Roses.

The Honda float includes a variety of flowers, plants and seeds that will later be ground up for mulch after the parade activities are concluded. The surface of ASIMO will be covered with super fine ground white rice and super fine ground everlasting; it is accented by fine cut blue statice and fine cut red statice as well as silverleaf to create accents and "shadows." Fine cut everlasting, whole red carnations and white chrysanthemums will bring vivid color to Honda's 50th anniversary logos, which will be decorated by Honda associates (employees) on December 27.

"We're honored to be celebrating our first 50 years in America by continuing our participation in the Rose Parade," said Stephan Morikawa of American Honda Community Relations. "We're thankful that so many customers have placed their trust in our products and services, and we are looking forward to surpassing their expectations during the next 50 years."

Honda is one of the parade's longest-running corporate sponsors, and its Rose Parade entries have captured major awards in 13 out of the last 14 years. Honda is the official Tournament of Roses vehicle. This year, the company will provide 115 vehicles, including the Honda FCX Clarity pace car; 166 Metropolitan scooters; and, 12 generators for use by Tournament of Roses personnel. The 120th Rose Parade, themed "Hats off to Entertainment," will take place Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2009 at 8 a.m. (PST).

[Gizmodo, Honda via Autoblog]

Of course, it’s also possible this is a hoax, or some unlicensed Chinese knock-off instead of an officially licensed product. But we do know that the Corvette Centenial concept has been repeatedly spied running with Autobots on the Transformers 2 set and that the inclusing of a not-yet-released GM concept indicated that this should be a reasonably major character. We’re going to wait for a toy that actually transforms before plunking down our hard earned cash on a new toy for our, ummm, nephews. [Transformers Live Action Movie Blog]

Our techtastic siblings over at Gizmodo posted this video of the new, improved and non-faceplanting version of Honda's Asimo robot trying out for a spot on the LA Galaxy squad, auditioning for an O-Town backup-dancer position and proving that he really can climb stairs. No word on whether jogging helps him keep his those unsightly robo-love-handles at bay. Meanwhile, we're still holding out hope for the Asimo Type R. – Davey G. Johnson

Oy! Robot! Asimo Down! Asimo Down! [Internal]

Related:
Honda Asimo Can Handle Stairs Like a Pro Now [Internal]

Okay, so it's not really a car per se, but neither was the Concept 2096, and that didn't even have a drivetrain. Semantics aside, how could you go wrong with an open top, hydro-mechanically driven, eight-legged roadster? Sure, the performance may not be quite as tight as a car's, but let's see an Accord climb up the wall. Rollout of the spiderbot occurred at this year's Burning Man festival, where it appeared to make a long, strange trip toward a crowd of besotted flower children, apparently as a flautist blew the theme to "Shaft" in waltz time. Groovy. – Ben Wojdyla

Night Vid - Lit Up Ricer Stylee [Youtube]

Mondo Spider Project [Industrialis]

Related:
Weird Creepy Walking Robot... [Interal]

After a mishap during a product demonstration in Japan, Honda reps spring into action, shielding their fallen robot comrade from view as they assess his injuries. Just prior, as Asimo hit the floor, smashing his space-helmet faceplate, he (he?) says something that sounds like "sleeping" and "accident." We distinctly heard, SUPER CONCUSSION POTENTIAL! – Mike Spinelli

[via AutoBlog]

Related:
Honda's Got a Brand New ASIMO [internal]

Number-one among Isaac Asimov's Laws of Robotics is "first do no harm." Or is that the doctors' oath? (shut up, Google). Nonetheless, the robots at one automated parking lot in Hoboken, New Jersey went all kerfluffle last week, trapping hundreds of cars inside the facility. Apparently it was the matter of a bureaucratic showdown. The city-owned lot had been in a contract dispute with operator Robotic Parking, during which the company's employees were asked to leave and the software license voided — reducing the all-important hardware to really expensive crap and leaving the cars trapped in their cubbies. Of course, the story gets even more complicated — pitting bureaucrat against software monkey, in what could be described as a really boring Ultimate Fighting special — but we'll let Wired handle the geeky lifting.

Giant Robot Imprisons Parked Cars [Wired]

Related:
Robot, You Can Park My Car: High-Tech Parking Systems Gain Visibility in the US [internal]

One of us now knows what he wants for Chanukah, and it's even a bargain at only $345,000. And then we'll make them pay...we'll make them all pay!

The Land Walker: the world's first 340cm bipedal exoskeleton [Gizmag]

Related:
It Can Go Anywhere: The MacroSwiss Spybot 4WD [internal]

If you'd been to the European Land Robot Trials (ELROB) in Germany, you'd probably not have seen Ebeneezer Von Clutch looking for his Black Power Gem. You may, however, have seen the Spybot 4WD from MacroSwiss. It weighs just 13 lbs, but it can cross a potato field faster than you can say "Pol Pot, hot or not?" It can also navigate waterways, descend stairs, climb 45-degree slopes, and be tossed (by cyborg mutants, natch) up to around 30 feet. With two high-res, low-light video cameras on board, the robot's typical use is reconnisance, but its friends call it, "shorty."

The extremely robust 4WD Spybot with flapper wheels [Gizmag]

Related:
More on the Georgia Tech Ultra AP [internal]

The newest ESP technology from Honda has not a thing to do with traction control. The company recently demonstrated a system through which brain signals can guide a robotic hand. Holy crap, you say? Yes, exactly. Developed with Japan's Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, the system uses magnetic resonance imaging — like in a medical MRI — to translate brain function into mechanical movement. Researchers said users will one day be able to control a robot, or a bionic prosthesis, by thinking the action.

Clear Your Mind: Honda Unveils Thought-Controlled Robot [Edmunds]

Related:
Honda's Got a Brand New ASIMO [internal]

Just in time for the holidays, Honda debuted a new version of its ASIMO humanoid robot than can play the role of office lackey. The new version, the company says, can "pursue key tasks in a real-life environment, such as an office" and has a broader range of physical capabilities. It can sync up with people — walking while holding hands with someone, for example, or... (oh, c'mon) — and can carry objects by wheeling a cart. Additional system development enables the new ASIMO to perform the tasks of a receptionist or information guide, by giving him visual and surface sensors to recognize the surrounding environment. It also has a new top speed of almost 4mph, compared to the previous 2 mph, and can operate in a circular pattern. Honda says the next focus for the ASIMO development team is intelligence capabilities, or getting ASIMO to make comprehensive judgments based on various situations — like, say, determining who ordered the grande half-caf latte with a shot of vanilla and shaved chocolate by the kind of sweater he's wearing.

Honda Debuts New ASIMO [Honda]

Related:
Robot, You Can Park My Car: High-Tech Parking Systems Gain Visibility in the US [internal]

A.I. Motorvators [via Technocrat]

Related:
TerraMax Robotic Vehicle Returning for 2005 DARPA Challenge [Internal]