Cyberdyne HAL

Hybrid Assistive Limb
Category	Limb-mounted
Developer	Cyberdyne
Announced	1997 (prototype)
Released	Developers: Consumers: (not released)
Price	2000 USD (monthly)
Operating system	(unknown)
Sensors	bio-electric signals
Weight	12000 g (Lower-limb model, both legs)
Controls	user's brain signals
Data available	Limited
Risk factor	Low
Standalone
http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/

Cyberdyne Hybrid Assistive Limb, or HAL, is a powered, wearable exoskeleton designed to support and assist the muscles of the user. It is used to return the ability to move to persons who lost it due to spinal injury or a stroke. It can be used in mobility therapy and restoration, movement assistance for the elderly, and movement and strength enhancement for workers or incident response teams.

Main characteristics

Cyberdyne HAL is equipped with neurosignal sensors that pick up the neural signals from the user's spine and translate them into the movement of the motorized joints. The user is only required to think about moving their limbs. HAL is currently used in neuromuscular feedback therapy. There are also plans to develop a powered exoskeleton to enhance workers working with heavy weights, or powered and protective exoskeleton for emergency and disaster responders.

Purpose

Cyberdyne HAL is a powered exoskeleton used in mobility therapy and for movement and strength enhancement.

Company & People

The exoskeleton is developed by a Japanese company Cyberdyne Inc. The company was founded on 24 June 2004 and is headquartered in Tsukuba, Japan.

• Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai - President and founder
• Fumiyuki Ichihashi, Shinji Uga, Hiroaki Kawamoto - Directors

Enhancement/Therapy/Treatment

Enhancement & Therapy - The exoskeleton can be used to restore the ability to walk in disabled patients and it can be also used to enhance the strength of a healthy human beyond their natural capabilities.

Ethical & Health Issues

We recorded no ethical or health issues connected to this particular device.

For more general issues connected with smartglasses, please see the Body-worn Wearables synopsis.

Public & Media Impact and Presentation

http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/company/Media_list.html

Public Policy

There is no policy regarding this particular device. However, policies relevant to Body-worn wearables may apply to this device too.

Related Technologies, Projects or Scientific Research

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=HAL%C2%AE+exoskeleton+training+improves+walking+parameters+and+normalizes+cortical+excitability+in+primary+somatosensory+cortex+in+spinal+cord+injury+patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24704677

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Factors%20Predicting%20the%20Effects%20of%20Hybrid%20Assistive%20Limb%20Robot%20Suit%20during%20the%20Acute%20Phase%20of%20Central%20Nervous%20System%20Injury.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Modification+of+hemiplegic+compensatory+gait+pattern+by+symmetry-based+motion+controller+of+HAL.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=HAL%C2%AE+exoskeleton+training+improves+walking+parameters+and+normalizes+cortical+excitability+in+primary+somatosensory+cortex+in+spinal+cord+injury+patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Feasibility+and+efficacy+of+high-speed+gait+training+with+a+voluntary+driven+exoskeleton+robot+for+gait+and+balance+dysfunction+in+patients+with+chronic+stroke%3A+nonrandomized+pilot+study+with+concurrent+control.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=1545505

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17483107.2015.1129455

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=5953292&tag=1

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-34546-3_36#page-1