Toyota shows machines to help sick, elderly move

TOKYO – Toyota will start selling robots that help the sick and elderly people walk and balance themselves better, aiming for commercial products sometime after 2013.

Toyota Motor Corp., Japan’s biggest automaker, also showed on Tuesday an intelligent machine with padded arms that can help health care workers lift disabled patients from their beds and then carry them around.

Toyota officials said technology for autos such as sensors, motors and computer software are being used in such computerized gadgets to help people get around.