What are Industrial / Occupational Exoskeletons?
Industrial, or Occupational, exoskeletons are wearable devices that can make their users feel less tired and reduce users' risk of repetitive stress injuries.
It is important to identify and select the proper device, or combination of devices, for task being performed.
suitX offers three devices that can be worn individually or be combined to form up to seven different exoskeleton configurations.
How do they help?
Industrial exoskeletons use mechanical leverage to transfer and redistribute loads on your body, resulting in reduced strain on the targeted joints.
By alleviating muscle strain/activity, industrial exoskeletons also reduce the compressive forces at targeted joints (such as the shoulder joint, the L5-S1 vertebra, and the knee joint) thus reducing the risk of joint injury.
With reduced muscle strain and risk of injury, suitX exoskeletons improve the users' quality of work and the quality of life.
Multiple Customizable Solutions
suitX is the only exoskeleton company in the market that offers three individual exoskeleton modules designed to be able to work in unison to assist the shoulders, back, and legs. Each module can be worn individually or in combination to make seven different configurations to cater to our customers' specific needs.
shoulderX reduces shoulder fatigue when performing work when the arm is raised
backX reduces lower back fatigue when in a bent position
legX reduces thigh fatigue and strain when you are in a squatted position
Academic Papers on the effectiveness of suitX products
What sets suitX apart?
suitX's innovative products were born in the Human Engineering Lab at the University of California, Berkeley.
These products reached maturity by working with customers to identify the needs of their employees and incorporating their feedback into the design.
The development and evaluation of suitX's technology has been funded by the United States National Science Foundation. Various acclaimed academic institutions have performed experiments to show the effectiveness of suitX exoskeletons.
suitX recognized the importance of vetting the technology in the field and not just in the isolation of the laboratory. The suitX team visited customer facilities across the globe to understand customer issues and address them while developing the products.
It is this experience that led to the principal philosophy at the core of the design of all suitX exoskeletons:
An exoskeleton must help you when you need it, but allows you to do your job without impediment
suitX spent years in development to make intelligent technology without the constrains of electronics to achieve this goal.
Since releasing our V1 (Version 1) products in 2017, suitX has since drastically improved it's technology to the V3 today.
suitX continues to actively sought and incorporated customer feedback to improve our V3 product line. The new V3 products focus on the overall user experience and are designed to increase speed, reduce weight, and reduce heat.
We continue to work with our customers in various industries to develop additional accessories and features to ensure that our exoskeletons can be customized for their specific needs.
2016
Prerelease
2017
2019
- Multiple exoskeletons available, which can be used individually or in combination
- Expertise in helping our customers identify if exoskeletons are appropriate for their tasks
- Implementation service and support
- Pre-packaged trial and evaluation tools
Make suitX your one-stop-shop to meet all your needs in evaluating and implementing exoskeletons for your business.
Services
Different types of exoskeletons can be used for different tasks and postures. Let suitX help you identify the right exoskeleton for your applications. As the only exoskeleton manufacturer that develops solutions for back, shoulder and knee injuries, suitX has the expertise to help you to evaluate your tasks. The suitX suite of products consists of:
shouderX supports your arms by reducing forces at the shoulder, enabling the wearer to perform chest-to-ceiling level tasks for extended periods of time, with less effort.
backX supports the upper body by reducing forces and torques on a wearer's lower back region when bending.
legX supports the knee by reducing the forces on the knee joint and the quadriceps while squatting, thus allowing the wearer to stay in strenuous postures for longer periods of time.
Each can be worn independently or can be combined to optimize the user's task.
Since our initial product launch in 2016, suitX has been working with customers to find effective ways to ensure proper and continued use of the technology by their workforce.
Fit issues and worker acceptance are the two biggest challenges that customers face when exploring this technology.
suitX has developed various trial and training programs to help companies properly integrate exoskeletons into their existing workflows and ensure worker acceptance.
These tools include,
- Interactive Training Modules
- Customized User Surveys and Trial Protocols
- Fit Feedback and Certification to ensure workers are wearing the device correctly
- Trial Reports
- ROI analysis to help justify expansion in your facility
Let suitX help you with your next steps. Contact suitX now!
When to use Industrial Exoskeletons
If a person is in a high risk posture for a prolonged period of time, or repeatedly during the course of their work, they might be at risk for developing work related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD)
Posture
Harmful forces on your body increase, when simply supporting your bodyweight, in prolonged awkward postures such as: raised arms over your head, bending at the hips, or kneeling.
Force
Carrying loads, such as a packages or tools, increases the forces on the body’s muscles and joints.
The higher the forces, the higher the risk of injury. It is often difficult to reduce these loads due to environmental and/or engineering constraints.
Frequency
Jobs where a worker must be in an awkward posture, or carry loads require sufficient recovery in-between work cycles.
Without rest, sustained or repetitive motions can result in increased risk of injury.
Intensity
Exoskeletons are not well suited to support certain tasks involving excessive loads. They are limited in the amount of support they can apply without creating discomfort.
Some tasks are not strenuous enough to justify the use of an exoskeleton. Workers with mild tiredness or discomfort may prefer not to wear additional hardware.
Are your workers exposed to prolonged, but unavoidable, poor postures?
suitX exoskeletons are designed to provide the increased assistance during poor postures.
Are your workers fatigued due to handling heavy loads during their work?
suitX exoskeletons are designed to reduce forces/loads on vulnerable joints and muscle groups.
Is the task performed often enough, or long enough, to justify an exoskeleton?
suitX exoskeletons assist both sustained and repetitive tasks.
Is your task in the intensity sweet spot?
suitX exoskeletons might be a solution. Contact sales@suitx to set up a demonstration
When high risk tasks in the above categories cannot be designed out of the workflow, nor automated, exoskeletons could be the solution you are looking for
Which Industrial Exoskeleton is right for me?
Most exoskeletons are designed to assist the user with a specific posture or task.
Working with your arms raised?
Bending at the Hips?
Bending at your knees?
