Listen, dude. Forget everything you heard about the iPhone. Forget the apps, forget the voice recognition calling, forget everything because all of its capabilities and features have just been outdone. A Japanese software engineer named Kazu Terasaki has given his iPhone the ability to walk.

Yes, he’s turned his iPhone into a kick ass robot that takes baby steps. Because Kazu is such a nice guy, you too can turn your gadgets into a mobile robot with Kazu’s dev kit. All you need to know is the Japanese language and some assembly.

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I don’t know about you, but I’d find it quite difficult to take steps with this thing straddled in between my legs. Alas, it is Honda’s inevitable desire to give me blue balls with its latest device geared towards the disabled - the walking assist device with body weight support system. Honda is no stranger to assisted walking devices for the eldery, but it is treading in new waters by trying to get men to sit on this thing.

If that saddle wasn’t sitting uncomfortably underneath my package, the device would never reduce the load on leg muscles and joints. It’s supposed to support a portion of a person’s body weight with help from a seat that just crushes your junk. If you ask me, it looks as bad as some bike seats.

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A mobile home is hardly a house. It’s a truck with a bed inside. On the other hand, the N55 WALKING HOUSE is the premier modular dwelling system. In addition to its ability to slowly troll surrounding landscapes, it collects energy by using solar cells and small windmills. There is even a system for collecting rain water and another for solar heated hot water. Of course, let’s not forget the crapper and the fireplace, the WALKING HOUSE has both.

Unlike a mobile home, you’re living a pollution-free life but you’re still a nomad. Roaming the countryside with nothing more than your own bedroom sounds great, then you realize you have to eat. Not a problem considering a small greenhouse unit can be added to the basic living module, eliminating the possibility of a food shortage. When we find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic future caused by mankind’s irresponsibility to maintain mother Earth, we’ll all wish we were living in the WALKING HOUSE.

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A cheap, barely-functional pedometer isn’t going to do you a lot of good. Shit, McDonalds was handing them out a few years ago with some bullshit “fit meal” marketing gimmick, essentially killing all hope that pedometer can really help you lose weight. All that has changed with the invention of the $99 Fitbit. At that price, most consumers will be extremely cautious about purchasing the device but it’s well worth it.
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In our modern metrosexual-filled era, one always has to look suave. Crippled or not, walking sticks make anyone look snazzy. However, not everyone is into steampunk gear, like this gimp mask. That’s alright though, because this cane has a certain level of class to it. The telescope mounted on it is collapsible and concealable within the walking stick’s solid African rosewood case.

This isn’t a cheap telescope your mother picked up at the mall, either. With a 3X magnification, 60 degrees of freedom and a locking mechanism so you don’t lose site of your heading, it’ll make looking at the sky pleasant, so long as you can stand on your own two feet. It’s $89.95 and for the love of god, don’t fall over your bad foot while looking for Uranus.

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In recent years, Honda’s robotics division has really taken off. After seeing ASIMO fall down a flight of stairs during CES one year, I pretty much lost all confidence in the company. That is, until I saw this experimental walking assistance device that’s set to be unveiled in Japan this week.

Aimed at the elderly and people with disabilities, it will come in either small, medium or large sizes. With only a two-hour lifespan, this isn’t meant for hiking Everest or trekking through Central Park. However, seniors and the like will find that completing simple tasks like walking to the refrigerator or the corner store will no longer be daunting.

The only issue I really see with this device is that my 84-year-old grandmother will turn into a goddamned Terminator once she straps a set on. Instead of making me a sandwich for lunch, she’ll kill her neighbors with a gardening tool and will think her toaster is Skynet. I’ll learn to deal.

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Earlier this week we discussed the two proper ways of traveling through the eyes of a environmentalist, biking and walking, which happened to be merged into one gadget of awesomeness with the Walking Bike and its sneaker wheels. This time around, we have the yin to the Walking Bike’s yang, with the Jump Bike.

Instead of relying more on wheels and pedals, the Jump Bike focuses more on the human powered aspect, powered by the propulsion of your own running speed as you sit on the seat, peddling like the Flintstone’s. Now we have bike’s for both breeds of the confused eco-friend. (more…)

Environmentalists will tell you that there are only two proper ways to get around in these days of global warming; bike riding and walking. Why not bound these two transportation methods into one? The Walking Bike from Max Knight uses specially modded wheels which have 8 sneakers attached instead of a typical treaded tire.

Not only does The Walking Bike look pretty sweet, but it is actually rideable. It might not be the smoothest ride you’ve ever had, and you might not win the Tour De France while riding it, but sometimes function must suffer for fashion. (more…)