Design World – August 2019

The Robot Report

66 August 2019 http://www.designworldonline.com DESIGN WORLD

Eugene Demaitre and Dan Kara • The Robot Report

Wearable robots aid workers in

industries beyond healthcare.

Although exoskeletons are best known for helping people with disabilities,

limitations of weight, power, and cost have slowed adoption rates. In the meantime,

enabling technologies have continued to advance, and industrial exoskeletons are

providing developers experience in a variety of applications.

The majority of today’s $130 million wearable robotics market is for medical

exoskeletons, but industrial exoskeletons are growing in number, as is the number

of providers, reported Wintergreen Research Inc.

Industrial exoskeletons augment human operators’ cognitive abilities with

mechanical strength and endurance. They mirror the structure of human limbs,

joints, and muscles while providing support and stabilization. They are similar to

robots in enabling the precise performance of repetitive tasks.

For example, Hyundai Motor Group has been testing in a North American Kia

factory its Hyundai Vest Exoskeleton (H-VEX), which is designed to reduce pressure

on workers’ necks and backs. Its Hyundai Chairless Exoskeleton (H-CEX) assists

sitting workers and is meant to relieve knee stress.

Gain Capabilities,

Expand Into New Uses

Industrial

Exoskeletons

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