I recently learned of two products developed by Honda that are currently in the prototype and testing phase, designed to help people with limited use of their legs to regain mobility. I have been wondering for years why we don't see more of these types of devices in actual use, and was excited to learn more.
The Stride Management Assist is a hip and thigh harness that offers motorized assistance to the user's legs, increasing their stride length and allowing them to walk longer distances. I could easily see this being used by the elderly and people with limited use of their leg muscles, perhaps the result of degenerative or congenital conditions. I have known people who have had hip replacements, for example, who had limited use of their new hip because they didn't have quite the full range of motion they had pre-surgery. This device would help them open their stride and potentially gain flexibility and range-of-motion faster.
The second product in development by Honda is the Bodyweight Support System, which adds motorized support primarily to the knees, thereby reducing the burden of the leg muscles to carry the body. While still in testing, I could see this being used by many of the same people as might use the first device. In watching the provided videos, I'm wondering what benefit these devices would have for people with arthritis or other joint and ligament disability.
This sort of technology feels overdue, but I am very encouraged to see it in development. As batteries become lighter and motors get smaller and stronger, I would hope assistive technologies such as these would rise to the challenge of being practical and beneficial for restoring the activity levels of people with any number of lower-body disabilities. Maintenance of activity levels is a primary predictor for long-term happiness and health, and none of us are getting any younger!
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