Manufacturing giant Honda has unveiled robotic legs that can take the weight off the knees. They should prove of immense value to factory workers and elderly.
The wearable assisted walking gadget looks like a bicycle seat connected by mechanical frames to a pair of shoes.
Honda said the device is designed to support bodyweight, reduce stress on the knees and help people get up steps and stay in crouching positions.
The new design follows the presentation of the HAL - or 'hybrid assistive limb' - a battery-controlled, belted suit that helps people walk around.
Honda showed a video of its employees wearing the device as they bent to peer underneath vehicles on an assembly line.
Engineer Jun Ashihara said the machine is also useful for people flagging in long queues and running around to make deliveries.
'This should be as easy to use as a bicycle,' Ashihara said at Honda's Tokyo headquarters. 'It reduces stress, and you should feel less tired.'
To wear it, you put the seat between your legs, put on the shoes and push the on button, then just start walking around.
In a test-run for media, a reporter found it took some getting used to, but said it did support his moves.
It pushed up on his bottom when he squatted and pushed at his soles to help lift his legs when he walked.
The system has a computer, motor, gears, battery and sensors embedded in it so it responds to a person's movements, according to Honda Motor Co.
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