TSUKUBA, Ibaraki Prefecture–A robotic suit designed for the rehabilitation of patients having difficulty walking due to stroke and spinal cord damage has been certified in Europe as a medical device, its developer Cyberdyne Inc. said.Sensors in the wearable robotic device, called “Robot Suit HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb),” pick up biopotential signals that are generated when the wearer tries to move his or her muscles, and then built-in motors move to assist the motion of a wearer’s lower body.
The product has received certification by a third-party certifier, Germany-based TUV Rheinland. Cyberdyne said it will now move to get appropriate insurance coverage in Europe.
The company is also promoting clinical trials of the suit in Japan to obtain certification as a medical device here as well.
Cyberdyne was founded in 2004 by Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor at the University of Tsukuba specializing in robotics, who also serves as president of the company.
