Cyborg suit multiplies human strength

Model wears full HAL suit in Terminator pose.

The latest robot science ingenuity from Japan is a cyborg suit designed to help weak people move like they are strong.

The Six-Million-Dollar Man-On-The-Outside suit is called HAL (nothing to do with the HAL 9000 of Space Odyssey movie fame) for "Hybrid Assistive Limb" and it's the product of Cyberdyne Corp.

The company created the cyborg suit to "upgrade the existing physical capabilities of the human body," and give those with weak limbs or limited physical range the walking and motion abilities of an able-bodied person.

HAL suit modeled with specs diagramed.

Strap on HAL's robotic limbs and computerized battery backpack and as you move, movement-triggered nerve cells on your skin signal HAL to give you a boost, multiplying your original strength by a factor of two to 10, depending upon the suit.

For a rental fee of about $2,300 a month, you can look like a Star Wars storm trooper who forgot some of his armor and feel like you've bulked up.

The robo-suit is for people with physical disabilities, such as stroke-induced paralysis or spinal cord injuries, but Cyberdyne believes the technology can also be used in physical training and rehabilitation, to add extra "muscle" for heavy lifting, and aid in rescue and recovery operations.

HAL won't make you a Terminator, but it will help you power up for tasks that may have been difficult, including standing up from a chair, walking, climbing up and down stairs, and lifting heavy objects.

The battery is good for about two and a half hours between charges and Cyberdyne says the 50 pound full suit (33 pounds for a lower half only model) isn't cumbersome because the robotic exoskeleton supports its own weight.

Suit up.

• Another Japanese robot is a supermodel.

Videos show half Hal suit demonstrations.