Exoskeletons are already used in military and medical rehabilitation applications but, to date no exoskeleton has been developed for use in manufacturing. This was the goal that the partners in the Robo-Mate project set themselves. Since 2013, twelve research institutes and companies in seven countries have been working together to develop a helper for production workers.
The exoskeleton prototype consists of modules for the arms, the trunk of the body and the legs. The arm modules are attached to the upper and lower arms and are claimed to give a tenfold reduction in the forces on workers when lifting an object, making a 15kg weight feel like 1.5kg. The trunk module is designed to support the spine by keeping the torso straight while carrying out lifting and bending tasks. The leg modules stabilise the inner thighs by stiffening to form a seat-like structure when workers are carrying out tasks in a squatting position.
Further research is still needed before the Robo-Mate exoskeleton can become an everyday presence in factories. One task is to make the exoskeleton and its use safe for workers and their environment. Another issue is the matter of acceptance: "The only way this kind of support can be successful is if workers themselves accept the technology," Said Professor Dr Michiel de Looze, partner for human-robot interaction at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, TNO.
"The prototype is functional, but its appearance is still off-putting – you can see all the technology and the wires. It's probably a bit scary for people," added Professor Wernher van der Venn, coordinator of the Robo-Mate project. To address this issue, the designers' next challenge is to develop a casing that is functional yet also gives workers the notion it is there to help them.
