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Severely injured Ukrainian soldiers will soon be the recipients of wearable Hybrid Assistive Limb [HAL] robot suits developed by Japanese company Cyberdyne Inc. The suits are being donated as part of a project to help Ukraine reconstruct after its war against Russia.
According to Kyodo News, 46 units of its HAL robotic suit series costing $2.4 million were ordered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The robot suits are part of the rehabilitation, medical equipment and heavy machinery that will be supplied to Ukraine as part of the agency’s efforts.
Also referred to as a Wearable Cyborg by Cyberdyne Inc., the HAL robot suits, “is the world‘s first technology that improves, supports, enhances and regenerates the wearer’s physical functions according to the wearer’s intentions.”
“When a person tries to move, the brain sends a signal to the muscle to command the movement,” the company’s website explains. “At that time, a very faint signal that reflects the wearer’s intention to move appears on the skin’s surface.
“Using its sensors attached to the skin’s surface, HAL detects these so-called ‘bio-electrical signals’ to perform the desired movements with the wearer’s voluntary commands.”
Cyberdyne’s HAL suits, which have now been used in over 20 countries, are scheduled to arrive at a medical facility in Kyiv by next March. From there they will be used to treat injured Ukrainian soldiers with spinal cord injuries and other muscular issues.
This past August, a research report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting stated the global wearable robotic exoskeleton market size was valued at $1.23 billion in 2023 and the worldwide wearable robotic exoskeleton market size is expected to reach $41.48 billion by 2033.
“On the basis of application, the global wearable robotic exoskeleton market is divided into rehabilitation, assistive, body parts support, and sports,” the report explained. “Among these, the body parts support segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the global wearable robotic exoskeleton market during the projected timeframe. The increasing prevalence of Parkinson’s disease, including strokes, and body driving irregularities has led to a need for wearing robotic exoskeletons.”