Walk

Presently, in order to get a detailed analysis of their walking gait, patients have to travel to a clinic where they walk on a pressure-sensitive mat. That could be about to change, though, thanks to a new wearable system.

Upon first seeing a dog-like quadruped robot for the first time, many people jokingly ask where they could buy one. Well, they can now get a fully functional miniature dog-bot of their very own via a Kickstarter campaign, for just US$195.

Chances are that if you think of someone who uses a walker, you picture them sedately making their way down a smooth sidewalk. Well, Rob's Walkers are for those other walker-users, who like getting into the woods and going off-road.

We've already heard about various smartphone-linked devices that determine if the user is intoxicated. According to a new study, though, even a phone on its own can be used to measure a person's drunkenness.

When someone has suffered a stroke, they may have difficulty regaining a proper walking gait. An experimental new device could help, though, by springing up their heel with each step.

In the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, some people develop a condition known as "gait freeze," in which they temporarily lose the ability to step forward. NexStride is designed to help, though, by giving them a laser target for their feet.

Although robotic prosthetic legs do have some advantages over their conventional counterparts, they also have some drawbacks that keep them from entering wider use. A new prototype prosthesis, however, addresses some of those shortcomings.

It was seven years ago that we first heard about Harvard University's HAMR cockroach-inspired robot. Although the bot was already on the tiny side, its designers have now created a version that's just half its size – it's time to meet HAMR-JR.

One of the main proposed uses for legged robots is the exploration of disaster sites. In order to walk across all that rubble, though, they would definitely need to be sure-footed – which is where new coffee-filled robot feet are designed to come in.

If the Jurassic Park movies are to be believed, Tyrannosaurus rex spent a lot of time quickly chasing down its prey. According to a new study, though, its legs were probably designed more for endurance than for speed.

Six years ago, we first heard about tiny two-legged "bio-bots" that used spinal muscle tissue to walk. Well, they've now received a big upgrade, in the form of spinal cord tissue that essentially makes them self-powered.

Insects rapidly transition between walking gaits, in response to external stimuli. Scientists have now created a robot that does the same thing, utilizing an artificial neural network – the tech might ultimately find use in better prostheses.