A walking assist system that can move linearly in a horizontal plane and rotationally about a vertical axis comprises a base frame 13, user support struts 3, 5 with a connected user attachment harness, motorised wheels and a control system 12. The struts may be connected to the base frame by elastic connecting joints 6, 7 having adjustable stiffness. Forwards, backwards, sideways and rotational motion of a user causes the struts to be deflected (figure 2). Strut deflection angles can be used to produce control signals for drive trains 8, 9 operating the motorised wheels, causing the walking assist system to follow the user. The walking assist system preferably also comprises the facility to be controlled manually by the user and an interface for a therapist to observe the state of the system and change a control strategy or control the system parameters. A navigation sub-system may be included for detecting the position of obstacles.
