“Industrial exoskeletons” is the collective name given to mechanical devices worn by workers, whose construction mirrors the structure of the operator’s limbs, joints, and muscles, works in tandem with them, and is utilized as a capabilities amplifier or as a fatigue and strain reducer. With some exceptions, industrial exoskeletons are able-bodied devices designed to augment workers performing specific, repetitive physical tasks. They are the opposite of medical exoskeletons, which focus on individuals who have lost some physical capability.
As the exoskeleton sector continues to evolve, the medical, business and technical press has long reported on exoskeleton technologies designed for medical rehabilitation and mobility aids, even though commercial success and large-scale adoption have not yet been realized. Sometimes referred to as exosuits, exoskeletons are wearable machines suited with motorized joints that provide lift support, weight dispersion, posture correction, and other capabilities to minimize strain and injury.
These machines are mainly used for physical rehabilitation but are increasingly used by workers in construction and manufacturing. It takes the weight of users’ arms off their necks, backs, and shoulders and transfers it to their cores. The energy that workers expend becomes more evenly distributed, which reduces strain and stress on the muscles and joints.
