"I want to walk": The Unyielding Dream of Approximately 40,000 Children with Walking Difficulties
AssistMotion is developing a pediatric walking assist robot "curara" to help children with walking difficulties achieve their dream of walking, and is currently crowdfunding for its practical application.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 12:57 (1481h 57m after Published)
Our company supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is the dream of "AssistMotion Inc."
AssistMotion Inc. (Headquarters: Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, Representative: Minoru Hashimoto) researches, develops, manufactures, and sells "curara," a walking assist robot designed to support individuals with walking difficulties.
**■Background of the Dream**
Approximately 40,000 children in Japan face difficulties walking on their own feet. Even though they harbor the desire to "walk," assistive devices suitable for children's body types and growth are not widely available, and walking practice using these devices is currently limited to hospitals and facilities. As a result, opportunities for children to experience "moving by their own will" during their early years are limited. Therefore, we aim to provide children with the successful experience of "being able to move on their own" by developing a pediatric walking assist robot that can be used daily at home.
**■Our Efforts to Date**
The walking assist robot "curara" has evolved based on fundamental research at Shinshu University's Faculty of Textile Science, with the concept of "wearable robotic wear" that is light and easy to put on and take off, just like clothing. Since the production of the prototype "Zero-go" in 2008, after more than 10 years of research and development, the adult walking assist robot was released in 2021. The main unit, which initially weighed 13kg, has been steadily improved and lightweighted to 2.9kg. Furthermore, it is designed for daily use, allowing attachment by simply wrapping five belts and intuitive operation via a smartphone.
However, the path to this point was by no means smooth. We faced numerous technical challenges, such as balancing ease of attachment with safety, lightweighting with assist power, and adapting to diverse individual body types. Through repeated prototyping and improvements, we have overcome these challenges one by one, leading to the current "curara." A significant feature is our commitment to using soft materials as much as possible, aiming for a robot that can be "worn" like clothing. In this process, we have also established control technology and structural design technology that softly assist the movement of each joint without using link mechanisms common in general robots.
**■Future Initiatives**
Since the release of the adult walking assist robot in 2021, we have received numerous requests for a pediatric model.
To respond to the earnest voices of families with children who have difficulty walking, saying, "Even if walking is difficult now, because they have a long future ahead, we want them to experience 'walking'," we began developing a pediatric walking assist robot in collaboration with Nagano Children's Hospital in 2023. However, further improvements are needed for practical application. Currently, we are conducting a crowdfunding campaign (March 16 to May 14, 2026) with the aim of improving and developing the product for commercialization.
In this project, we aim to produce an improved prototype that can be used by children aged 4-5 (approximately 100cm tall), with practical application in mind. In approximately two weeks since its launch, we have received over 2.55 million yen in donations from more than 230 people, achieving 73% of our goal. To meet these expectations, we will accelerate development to deliver the "experience of walking" to more children.
We await your generous support.
Click here for crowdfunding details
**■Our Dream**
Through "curara," we will continue to support every step of all people, from children to the elderly, who wish to "walk on their own feet."
And someday, we will realize a future where a "society that does not give up on walking" becomes commonplace.
**■What is curara?**
curara® is a walking training robot for people who have difficulty walking due to aging, accidents, or illness. Its structure can be modified to suit the wearer's needs.
**【Company Profile】**
Company Name: AssistMotion Inc.
Headquarters: 2-16-24 Fumiiri, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture
Representative Director: Minoru Hashimoto
Business Activities:
・Manufacturing, sales, research, and development of walking assist robots and walking practice support robots
・Manufacturing, sales, research, and development of soft actuator PVCGEL, and development of applied products
Established: 2017
HP: https://assistmotion.jp/
**【Contact Information】**
Tel / Fax: 0268-75-8124
Email: contact@assistmotion.jp
AssistMotion Inc. (Headquarters: Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, Representative: Minoru Hashimoto) researches, develops, manufactures, and sells "curara," a walking assist robot designed to support individuals with walking difficulties.
**■Background of the Dream**
Approximately 40,000 children in Japan face difficulties walking on their own feet. Even though they harbor the desire to "walk," assistive devices suitable for children's body types and growth are not widely available, and walking practice using these devices is currently limited to hospitals and facilities. As a result, opportunities for children to experience "moving by their own will" during their early years are limited. Therefore, we aim to provide children with the successful experience of "being able to move on their own" by developing a pediatric walking assist robot that can be used daily at home.
**■Our Efforts to Date**
The walking assist robot "curara" has evolved based on fundamental research at Shinshu University's Faculty of Textile Science, with the concept of "wearable robotic wear" that is light and easy to put on and take off, just like clothing. Since the production of the prototype "Zero-go" in 2008, after more than 10 years of research and development, the adult walking assist robot was released in 2021. The main unit, which initially weighed 13kg, has been steadily improved and lightweighted to 2.9kg. Furthermore, it is designed for daily use, allowing attachment by simply wrapping five belts and intuitive operation via a smartphone.
However, the path to this point was by no means smooth. We faced numerous technical challenges, such as balancing ease of attachment with safety, lightweighting with assist power, and adapting to diverse individual body types. Through repeated prototyping and improvements, we have overcome these challenges one by one, leading to the current "curara." A significant feature is our commitment to using soft materials as much as possible, aiming for a robot that can be "worn" like clothing. In this process, we have also established control technology and structural design technology that softly assist the movement of each joint without using link mechanisms common in general robots.
**■Future Initiatives**
Since the release of the adult walking assist robot in 2021, we have received numerous requests for a pediatric model.
To respond to the earnest voices of families with children who have difficulty walking, saying, "Even if walking is difficult now, because they have a long future ahead, we want them to experience 'walking'," we began developing a pediatric walking assist robot in collaboration with Nagano Children's Hospital in 2023. However, further improvements are needed for practical application. Currently, we are conducting a crowdfunding campaign (March 16 to May 14, 2026) with the aim of improving and developing the product for commercialization.
In this project, we aim to produce an improved prototype that can be used by children aged 4-5 (approximately 100cm tall), with practical application in mind. In approximately two weeks since its launch, we have received over 2.55 million yen in donations from more than 230 people, achieving 73% of our goal. To meet these expectations, we will accelerate development to deliver the "experience of walking" to more children.
We await your generous support.
Click here for crowdfunding details
**■Our Dream**
Through "curara," we will continue to support every step of all people, from children to the elderly, who wish to "walk on their own feet."
And someday, we will realize a future where a "society that does not give up on walking" becomes commonplace.
**■What is curara?**
curara® is a walking training robot for people who have difficulty walking due to aging, accidents, or illness. Its structure can be modified to suit the wearer's needs.
**【Company Profile】**
Company Name: AssistMotion Inc.
Headquarters: 2-16-24 Fumiiri, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture
Representative Director: Minoru Hashimoto
Business Activities:
・Manufacturing, sales, research, and development of walking assist robots and walking practice support robots
・Manufacturing, sales, research, and development of soft actuator PVCGEL, and development of applied products
Established: 2017
HP: https://assistmotion.jp/
**【Contact Information】**
Tel / Fax: 0268-75-8124
Email: contact@assistmotion.jp
FAQ
What kind of product is curara?
curara is a walking training robot for people with walking difficulties due to aging or illness, characterized by being lightweight and easy to wear like clothing.
What is the development status of the pediatric curara?
Development began in 2023 in collaboration with Nagano Children's Hospital. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway for improvements and development towards practical application.
What is the goal of the crowdfunding campaign?
The goal is to produce an improved prototype usable by children aged 4-5 (approx. 100cm tall), having already raised over 2.55 million yen in donations.