TSUKUBA, Japan (GroundReport) – According to reports, a robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems will be available to rent in Japan for $2,200 a month. The invention is believed to have far-reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly.

HAL, aka "hybrid assistive limb" is a computerized suit with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin, reports The Associated Press.

(AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara) :: Robotic suits named HAL

 

The 22-pound battery-operated computerized robot is belted to the waist. It captures the brain signals and relays them to mechanical leg braces strapped to the thighs and knees. The brain signals are assisted by the robot to help people with disabilities to walk.

"We are ready to present this to the world," said Yoshiyuki Sankai, a University of Tsukuba professor who designed HAL in a report by AP.