Do you remember the classic terminator movie in which they talk about the basic cybernetics, we have finally reached that stage.
A Japanese man paralysed from the waist down has embarked on an ambitious trip to Normandy to climb a mountain... with the help of a cutting-edge robotic suit.
Father-of-two Seiji Uchida, 49, will be carried up Mont Saint Michel - a World Heritage site - by a companion clad in a cybernetic exoskeleton which can boost the wearer's strength tenfold.
For Mr Uchida, who lost the ability to walk 28 years ago after a car accident, reaching the picturesque abbey at the top of the mountain on the French coast is just the beginning of his trip of a lifetime.
The incredible piece of cybernetic technology has been developed by the University's professor Yoshiyuki Sankai at his laboratory in the Tokyo suburb.
Cybernetics is growing area for research and development and in Japan The Cyberdyne Corporation has begun mass production of a cybernetic bodysuit that greatly augments body movement and increases user strength.
The HAL suit works by detecting faint bioelectrical signals using pads placed on specific areas of the body. The pads move the HAL suit accordingly.
The Cyberdyne website explains: 'When a person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal system as a consequence.
'At this moment, very weak biosignals can be detected on the surface of the skin.
'HAL catches these signals through a sensor attached on the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to wearers' daily activities.'
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