Toyota to launch a rehabilitation robot

Most people know Toyota Motor as a car manufacturer of some of the world’s best and most reliable automobiles. But did you know that the Japanese auto giant is likewise introducing a rehabilitation robot designed to help partially paralyzed people walk, the automaker said Wednesday.
 
The company will soon launch a service that rents out what it calls the Welwalk WW-1000 robot in Japan. It hopes to rent around 100 said robots to various medical facilities across the country in three years. If all goes well, Toyota might not just be a household name for vehicles, it can likewise make a name for itself in the field of medical services. The service entails a one-time initial fee of 1 million yen ($9,127) and a 350,000 yen ($3,200) monthly fee.

The company will soon launch a service that rents out what it calls the Welwalk WW-1000 robot in Japan

 
Toyota’s involvement in the field of robots is nothing new, which proves its commitment on extending “freedom of mobility for all” slogan beyond transportation. The robot is designed to support stroke and other patient relearning how to walk. The exoskeleton attaches to joints, which aids the elderly and differently-abled folk who have a difficult time moving about. “Patients will able to walk 1.6 times sooner”, said professor Eiichi Saitoh of co-developer Fujita Health University.
 
When it comes to rehabilitation services, Toyota has actually been hard at work in partner robots for medical and nursing care in 2007. Since then, the company has been testing various tools and technologies to try and perfect the support system for the rapidly increasing elderly population in Japan, as well as those with special needs.
 
With the continuous research and development, Toyota plans to nurture partner robots in to a new core operation. “If there is a social need, we will connect our business to it”, said Toyota Managing officer, Toshiyuki Isobe.

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The field of support robots for walking and rehabilitation is growing quickly as other companies are also entering the market. In case you’re unaware, Honda Motor and Panasonic are developing assistive robots.
 
All in all, Toyota is about trying to deliver mobility for everybody. Always keeping people in mind, it tries its best to figure out how we can use modern technology to fill social needs and help people more.