From: The Associated Press —

Honda Motor Corp., best known for its popular small and mid-size cars, recently showed that’s it’s not an industrial a one-trick pony, showing the media a prototype robotic walker designed to help workers avoid fatigue or assist people with lower body mobility challenges.

As reported by The Associated Press at CNN.com, “The experimental device, unveiled Friday, is designed to support body weight, reduce stress on the knees and help people get up steps and stay in crouching positions.”

The walker combines sensors, gears and motors with a central computer to make sure the device goes exactly where you want to go, but with a lot less effort than doing it yourself.

It’s the latest development to emerge from Honda’s ongoing robotics research since Asimo, the humanoid robot, wowed trade show audiences with reasonably lifelike independent walking and maneuvering abilities back in 2000.

Meanwhile, there’s been no word when the robot walker, or one of its descendants, may appear on the market as an actual product.