Honda's Wearable Assistive Walker

Honda has unveiled a robotic walking aid that they claim reduces stress on the legs and knees of the wearer and enables them to preform tasks by expending less effort. "This should be as easy to use as a bicycle," said engineer Jun Ashihara at Honda's Tokyo headquarters. "It reduces stress, and you should feel less tired." The device is computer controlled and looks like a bicycle seat with legs. Honda envisions it's auto factory workers donning the devices to enable them to perform their tasks more easily, this is especially important to the company considering Japan's aging population.
CNN has more detail here.

Honda To Showcase Assisted Walking Device

Honda is showcasing assisted walking technology, think exoskeleton, at the International Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the Elderly & the Disabled (BARRIER FREE 2008) in Osaka, Japan on April 25th -27th. The device which is currently under feasibility studies has been under development since 1999 and owes some of its technology to Honda's ASIMO humanoid robotics project. Honda's website says "Applying cooperative control based on the information obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user’s stride will be lengthened compared to the user’s normal stride without the device and therefore the ease of walking is achieved." The idea is to assist those with compromised walking capabilities due to injury or age. Check out the link above for images; very slick and looking like it's ready to hit the market.

Thanks to Engadget for pointing this out.