Like a lot of kids, Keahi Seymour was fascinated with the way animals move and run. He was especially impressed with the ostrich and its wide, springy gait.

Seymour wanted to create a book that would help him run like an ostrich. His idea took several years to come to fruition, but eventually he created the Bionic Boot, a working prototype of a crazily creative cybernetic running aid.

The Bionic Boots feature springs on the back that are meant to imitate the achilles tendon of an ostrich or kangaroo, giving the human wearer a greatly increased amount of force when running. The increased force propels the wearer forward faster than non-augmented human legs could.

Strapping on the boots and going for a run looks like a blast, and according to Seymour they can help you run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. He hopes to go even faster in the future. The inventor says that the exaggerated arm movements in the video are just for demonstration purposes, and when you’re running for fun or exercise the movements are much more natural.

Although he’s put quite a bit of work into the concept so far, Mr. Seymour has no immediate plans to produce and sell the Bionic Boot. He has made appearances at Maker Faires, though, showing off his invention and sprinting around like a very happy ostrich.

The post Meep Meep! Bionic Boots Make You a Human Roadrunner first appeared on Gajitz.

Worker fatigue can result in painful and costly accidents and downtime, whether that worker is in an automotive plant or in space. That’s why NASA and GM teamed up to create a robotic glove that will assist and augment workers’ movements. The glove, known as the Human Grasp Assist, fits over the human worker’s hand and allows that worker to grip tools for longer and with less fatigue.

Because the Human Grasp Assist device reduces the amount of force required to perform actions, it cuts down on the incidence of repetitive stress injuries and allows workers to perform their tasks longer. Initial tests indicate that tasks which ordinarily require 15-20 pounds of force only require five to 10 pounds of force when performed with the robotic glove.

The current version of the glove weighs about two pounds, but research and development are continuing. The team working on the project is refining the components to produce a prototype that is smaller and lighter, which they hope to be able to introduce into GM’s production floor in the near future.

The post Robot Glove Gives Human Workers Robotic Super-Stamina first appeared on Gajitz.