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Comment by lowdose | Hacker News Reader

This is an unexpected original application. Do you think people in a wheelchair would like to upgrade to a robot?

Maybe. Maybe not. But the real question is whether people in 10 years time would prefer a walking mobility scooter or a wheeled mobility scooter. When the Star Wars generation hits this point en-mass in 20-30 years, I predict there will be a huge market for personal AT-AT walkers.

Don't know.

But maybe it would

1. allow them to stand

2. allow them to use stairs

That’s starting to sound like an exoskeleton

Sure, but I think if you can't use your legs, some robot skills are required by your exoskeleton to not sway around or fall down a stair.

If we're going in that direction, might as well get rid of those useless bio legs and replace them with robot legs

I'd assume some people aren't fond of surgery.

I think a bigger problem is that there isn't really a good safe way to directly interface a human limb to a mechanical one. Conventional prostheses distribute weight over tissues that didn't evolve to carry those loads and are therefore much less comfortable than a natural leg.

Mmm yeah, I suppose you'd have to figure out a way to connect up to bones for structural support and to connect actuators to. But hey as long as we're dreaming big, why not?

I'm not dreaming big.

I just asked if we could strap people to these things to let them climb stairs, lol

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