Walking
”Autoliv's Hood Airbag System Saves Dumb Walkers From Dumb Drivers
Autoliv's new Pedestrian Protection System combines a hood that opens to cushion impact and a pair of hood mounted airbags to reduce the risk of serious injury when a car comes into contact with an unfortunate pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist. The tech's safety specs are impressive: "From almost certain death to less than a 15% risk of life-threatening injuries in a car-to-pedestrian impact at 40 km/h." [Autoliv via Autoblog via Inventor Spot]Honda's Assisted Walking Device Makes Grandma Strut Like Asimo
Honda has developed a gadget that they say could make walking easier for the elderly and others with weak leg muscles. The aptly named Walking Assist Device is a 6 lb. motorized belt with hip sensors that gauge how much help the wearer will need. The motor then gives the wearer an appropriate boost, lengthening his or her stride enough to make walking easier on the legs.
More »
Cornell Ranger Breaks Walking 'Bot Distance Record, Falls Over
When a team of Cornell students put Ranger to work tottering around the running track it just kept on walking, eventually achieving 45 laps before its batteries died and the poor thing toppled backwards. This 5.6-mile hike smashed the previous 20-lap record. The kneeless Ranger is designed to investigate aspects of locomotion so that robot walking can be improved, and hopefully prosthetics for humans too. More »
gadgets
Sportline ThinQ Pocket Credit Card-Sized Pedometer
The deal here is that this is a credit card sized, 3mm thick, pedometer. Counts calories, distance, and steps. This makes a lot more sense than strapping a full sized pedometer to your arm or belt and living with it in tow. Most walking is probably done down city blocks, across the office to the laser printer, and through the mall during sale season. [Sportline via Digital Trends]This Robot Defies Jesus, Walks on Walls
Hold on to the edge of your seat, boys and girls, because this here robot is poised to Blow. You. Away. Not only is it made of metal and rubber, in and of itself completely mind-boggling and on more than one occasion made me question my own hollow existence, but it can also walk up walls. So the government has been lying to us! I totally called this back in '47. More »
gadgets
Remote Controlled Gundam Robot Walks Better Than Stephen Hawking
GUNDAM!! Who hasn't watched a Gundam cartoon and wished they were 13 years old and piloting one of these huge mechs? Here's the next, next, next, next best thing to that. The remote controlled Gunwalker robot lets you walk the guy in "true two leg walking action" by using the "Magna Traction System". More »
gadgets
Real, Virtual Reality Roller Shoes ... Huh?
The "powered shoes" are virtual reality assistants that were developed by Hiroo Iwata, Hiroshi Tomioka and Hiroaki Yano in Japan. The shoes—or hippie sandals as they appear—have motorized rollers built into the base. As you take steps, a computer strapped to your back will make the rollers on the bottom of the sandals roll the opposite direction canceling out your steps. So it is like really walking in place or being on a mobile treadmill. Get it? More »Apple + Nike Sport Kit Ships
Announced two months ago and now shipping is the Nike + Apple iPod Sport Kit, a pair of shoes that talks to your iPod, and then lets your iPod talk to you. The Nike shoes keep track of your running (or walking, skipping, hopping, limping or jumping) distance, time, speed and even calculates calories burned, sending that info to your iPod that speaks the data to you so you don't even have to look down at the screen.
More »
gadgets



















