Power Armor For the Elderly

aicrules writes "The question of how to care for the growing number of people in the upper age bracket has a new answer - assistive power armor for the elderly." From the article: "The sleek, high-tech get-up looks like a white suit of armor. It straps onto a person's arms, legs and back and is equipped with a computer, motors and sensors that detect electric nerve signals transmitted from the brain when a person tries to move his limbs. When the sensors detect the nerve signals, the computer starts up the relevant motors to assist the person's motions. Sankai says the suit, dubbed 'Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) 5,' can let a person who can barely do an 176-pound leg press handle 397 pounds."

Re:Muscles

[Sj0]

If you're at the point where you need it, odds are this is not going to cause more harm than good.

But, I'm in the prime of my life, and I have no problems saying this: I WANT ONE!!!

Re:Muscles

[ozmanjusri]

That's going to make their already weak muscles weaker.Muscles grow on consisten application of resistance.

It doesn't have to. You could dial in as much resistance as you want. Consistency is important to frail people, and often fear of injury dissuades them from any exercise at all. This would help.

muscle decay or muscle stimulation

[iamnot]

The issue of muscle loss when using such a device could go either way - the ability to move around much more actively could actually stimulate muscles. Resistance could be fine-tuned so that the muscles gradually strengthen. Often, the reason old people become so weak is that they are afraid to do things, or at least do them actively (my own grandmothers are afraid to be outside) - so having a body suit would be amazing, if they actually leave the house!!

Energy?

[r6144]

I guess such things would cost a ton of energy, especially in a military setting. Can reasonably-sized batteries last long enough for this? Or does every soldier need to carry around a few litres of gasoline, making them suicide bombs when hit by a bullet at the wrong place? ::shudders::

Re:I for one...

[gstoddart]

At what point is an artcle restating a previous article's content not a dupe? How far must it be removed to still be considered news?

Technically, it would need to be an update or a follow up article which included more information than the previous incarnation.

This is a simple dupe. :-P

Re:Muscles

[davebo]

Muscles grow on consistent application of resistance...

Unless, of course, you happen to suffer from a degenerative muscle disease, in which case no matter how much you exercise your muscles get weaker.

This kind of power assist device could be a godsend for folks in that condition, wouldn't you agree?