Japan researchers unveil robot suit for farmers

January 9, 2009

Japanese researchers on Friday unveiled a robot suit, seen here in action, designed to help reduce the heavy burden of harvesting as the nation's farm industry faces an ageing, shrinking workforce.

Japanese researchers on Friday unveiled a robot suit designed to help reduce the heavy burden of harvesting as the nation's farm industry faces an ageing, shrinking workforce.

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• Szkeptik - Jan 09, 2009
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  After all the stupid things the Japanese have made robots for this is actually a good move.
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• x646d63 - Jan 09, 2009
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  Instead of Iron Man, it's Beta-Carotene Man!
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• physpuppy - Jan 09, 2009
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  I wonder how the suit feels? Seems kind of heavy:
  
  

  The 25-kilogramme (55-pound) device is designed to assist elderly farmers who need support for their leg muscles and joints when they keep a crouching position or lift their arms high.

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  That added wight is not trivial - will it cause new problems?
  
  
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• LuckyBrandon - Jan 10, 2009
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  i would think the suit strength, being its own stability platform (aka, can probably stand up with nobody in it), would make the weight not such a big deal.
  My thought leans more towards things like, does it enhance the strength of someone in it, or any other abilities besides making things easier on the joints and muscles when bending and reaching.
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• Supermegadope - Jan 10, 2009
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  Lets see , statistically Asians are small and light people, with the elderly probably being smaller and lighter. these elderly are having problems getting around the farm.... lets strap a 55lbs suit to them and have them try to walk around the farm in it, that should help.
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• General_Haberdashery - Jan 10, 2009
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  Is an elderly worker going to perform more than $5,000-$10,000 of additional work over the suit's lifetime if you buy them this suit?
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• DCP - Jan 12, 2009
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  Interesting and important technology but, gee whiz, can't these people retire? Japan is a wealthy country. Do they really have to work their old people to death?
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• LuckyBrandon - Jan 24, 2009
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  DCP-
  you gotta do something to get your parents out of the house :)
  lol
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• Helios - Jan 26, 2009
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  does enyone have info on a inner suit,and exoskeleton outer suit, that sences when the body moves it the inner picks up on the movements and send it to an exo skeleton that amplofies the movement
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