Cyberdyne At Haneda Airport

Japan has a potentially huge problem coming. While the current population is healthier than ever, and many people are living past 100, the birth rate has dropped significantly. With an ageing population (and therefore workforce), how will Japan be able to keep up?

The answer is like something out of a comic book.

Haneda Airport in Tokyo has joined up with the company Cyberdyne (not the company from Terminator – although scarily similar?) to make sure all of its ageing staff are equipped with the latest in robotic exoskeletons. The company, which also produces cleaning robots and medical assistance, have made the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) for Labor Support, a lower-body suit that helps with all the strenuous aspects of physical labour.

While it only looks like a harness, it’s actually the smaller model of a full-body robotic suit that was first released in 2013. This HAL sits comfortably on the waist of the users, and is able to detect bioelectric signals from the user’s muscle to aid in their movement. It’s largely to reduce back pain – so at least you won’t feel bad getting that elderly airport steward to lift your bags!

Shinji Uga, the CFO of Cyberdyne has said that its main purpose is to prevent back pain. A person who weighs around 110 lbs would be able to pick up a 45lb suitcase with no problem – they could pick up more if the machine is adjusted.

With their HAL product, interactive tables and fully-automatic cleaning robots (which can use lifts!), Cyberdyne seem to be firmly at the forefront of airport convenience technology.

How much do you want one?