Walking Machines

• http://www.kangoo-worldsite.com/home.htm
• http://www.kangoojumps.com/order_kangoo_jumps.htm
• http://www.fzi.de/ids/WMC/walking_machines_katalog/walking_machines_katalog.html
• http://pages.zoom.co.uk/keahi/index.html
• Bionicboots
• www.kenguru.de
• http://www.springwalker.com/

• From: Richard Ward
  ... and that's Alan Alda ("Hawkeye" from M*A*S*H) using the thing. From the commentary it looks like they didn't do any research about the device when they made the page. I saw a TV show about the thing. I _think_ the host was the guy who does the C|Net show on MSNBC.
  Anyhow, they taught Mr. Alda to walk in the thing in just a few minutes. It functions with some huge springs set up the spine of the device. The effect is a lot like those spring shoes that runners were using a while back.
  From what I remember the Springwalker was very easy to use, much like stilts.
  
  From: Warren Berger
  The hpv in question was built and patented by some folks at MIT. They had talked of commercializing it, but like lean steer trikes and rear steered bikes, Joe Six Pack couldn't flop on and ride away...so. It was on Scientific American Frontiers on PBS. Mr. Alda is the host of this fine show.
  
  
• From: HPVert Alert
  BBC reports on a bizarre Russian "Petrol-powered boot"   invention. Sadly, there was once an attempt to make a truly human-powered walking augmentation device, the   http://www.springwalker.com/ , which was just as bizarre   as this one:
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/sci/tech/newsid_820000/820398.stm
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/820000/images/_820398_boots_running150.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/820000/images/_820398_boots_sitting150.jpg
  

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Thursday, 29 January 2009