Abstract: Provided is a walking assist device including a seat member, a leg link having a joint portion, and a driving source for the joint portion. The walking assist device allows a user to rest by sitting on the seat member. Accordingly, the walking assist device further includes a lock mechanism disposed in the joint portion and an operation unit for the lock mechanism. When the operation unit is switched on, the driving source is controlled to increase an up-pushing force on the seat member. A variation rate on the up-pushing force is increased with time to a given value where the lock mechanism is initiated.

Abstract: Provided is a walking assist device including a seat member, a leg link having a joint portion, and a driving source for the joint portion. The walking assist device allows a user to rest by sitting on the seat member. Accordingly, the walking assist device further includes a lock mechanism disposed in the joint portion and an operation unit for the lock mechanism. When the operation unit is switched on, the driving source is controlled to increase an up-pushing force on the seat member. A variation rate on the up-pushing force is increased with time to a given value where the lock mechanism is initiated.

Abstract: A torso part (2) and a backpack part (6) of a humanoid robot are commonly formed by a shell that defines an inner space that accommodates a heat generating component such as a control computer (31) and a power module (32, 33). The shell comprises an air vent hole (45, 46) provided on one lateral side of the shell, an air inlet hole (47, 48) provided on the other lateral side of the shell and a powered fan (49) provided immediately inside the air vent hole. Because the cooling air can flow laterally across the inner space, the entire part of the heat generating component can contact the air flow, and a uniform cooling effect can be achieved with a minimum power consumption and a minimum noise generation.

Abstract: A plastic hollow body contains a resilient spring plate. The spring plate is attached to the body at one end and, at another end, has an iron core. A hole in the body is slightly offset from a hole in the spring plate such that a pin extending through the hole in the body cannot pass through the hole in the spring plate until the spring plate is bent by a force from the spring. The pin then extends through the hole in the spring plate and the spring plate is locked onto a reduced diameter portion of the pin. The release of the pin is possible only by applying a magnet adjacent the iron core so as to move the spring plate from the locked position.