Dec. 18, 2014

Toyota Lends Mobility Impairment Rehabilitation
Partner Robots to Hospitals Across Japan

 

Tokyo, Japan, December 18, 2014－Toyota Motor Corporation has begun lending its "Walk Training Assist" and "Balance Training Assist" rehabilitation-aid partner robots for clinical trials to be conducted in medical facilities across Japan. The robots are designed to aid the rehabilitation of patients who find it difficult to walk or maintain balance due to illness or injury.

The first of the Walk Training Assist and Balance Training Assist robots to be lent were installed today at the Ukai Rehabilitation Hospital in Aichi Prefecture. In total, 23 Walk Training Assist robots and 21 Balance Training Assist robots are scheduled to be installed at a total of 34 medical facilities.

Development of these robots began at the end of 2007 in collaboration with Fujita Health University Hospital in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture. Since 2011, Toyota has been working together with medical facilities to complete pilot testing of the robots, and has significantly improved on-site user-friendliness.

The wider-scale clinical trials are aimed to further evaluate the effectiveness of the robots. Toyota is accelerating development of the robots with the aim a commercial launch at the earliest opportunity.

Name Walk Training Assist Balance Training Assist
Features
  • Aids all stages of rehabilitation for patients that are unable to walk due to lower limb paralysis
  • Assists limb movement by aiding leg swing, knee straightening and body-weight support
  • Uses a game interface to for enjoyable independent balance training
  • Two-wheeled Winglet personal transport device links body movement with an in-game avatar
Main improvements
(over model announced in 2011)
  • Leg mount fitted with lifting mechanism to lessen weight burden
  • Variable assistance levels according to degree of rehabilitation
  • Real-time monitoring of joint angle and other walking data with audial and visual feedback
  • Redesigned for quicker mounting
  • Skiing and rodeo games added to tennis to further enable training in shifting center-of-gravity and maintaining balance
  • Response between user and in-game avatar improved
  • Difficulty level set automatically to degree of rehabilitation
Size Width: 1,200 mm; length: 2,560 mm;
height: 2,350 mm 		Width: 1,870 mm; length: 3,040 mm;
height: 2,350 mm
Photos Walk Training Assist Balance Training Assist

Major Facilities Scheduled to Receive Rehabilitation Aid Robots

✓ = Scheduled to be installed
－= Not scheduled to be installed
Prefecture Facility Name Walk Training Assist Balance Training Assist
Akita Akita University Hospital ✓ －
Saitama Kasumigaseki South Hospital － ✓
Chiba Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital － ✓
Chiba Funabashi Municipal Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ ✓
Tokyo Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ ✓
Tokyo Makita General Hospital ✓ －
Kanagawa Aso Rehabilitation General Hospital － ✓
Kanagawa Shinyokohama Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ －
Toyama Alpen Rehabilitation Hospital － ✓
Toyama Koshi Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ －
Ishikawa Rozyo Clinic － ✓
Nagano Kizankai Memorial Hospital － ✓
Aichi Ukai Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ ✓
Aichi Uno Hospital － ✓
Aichi Jyousai Hospital － ✓
Aichi Kariya Toyota General Hospital ✓ ✓
Aichi National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology ✓ ✓
Aichi Sankuro Hospital ✓ －
Aichi Daiyukai General Hospital ✓ －
Aichi Toyota Memorial Hospital ✓ ✓
Kyoto Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, University Hospital ✓ ✓
Osaka Senri Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ －
Hyogo Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital － ✓
Hyogo Hyogo College of Medicine, Sasayama Medical Center ✓ －
Okayama Okayama Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ －
Kochi Chikamori Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ －
Fukuoka Kokura Rehabilitation Hospital ✓ ✓
Fukuoka Shinyoshizuka Hospital ✓ ✓
Fukuoka Nagao Hospital ✓ －
Saga Saga University Hospital ✓ ✓
Oita Yufuin Hospital ✓ －

Walk Training Assist

Balance Training Assist

Downloads (Videos)

  • Walk Training Assist
    Walk Training Assist Partner Robot
  • Balance Training Assist
    Balance Training Assist Partner Robot

Downloads (Images)

  • Walk Training Assist
    Walk Training Assist Partner Robot
  • Walk Training Assist (user-equipable portion)
    Walk Training Assist Partner Robot: user-equipable leg brace
  • Balance Training Assist
    Balance Training Assist Partner Robot
  • Balance Training Assist (user-equipable portion)
    Balance Training Assist: Winglet controller