The Term exoskeleton (Exo = outside) is understood as a supporting structure for an organism (for the endo-skeleton = inside). In the animal world, the exoskeleton is often fused as part of the body and protects it from enemies, for example.
The term “exoskeleton” is now widely used and often associated with robot-like suits and superpowers. These assistance systems are often overestimated or underestimated by their admirers and critics alike. However, the aim is not for a person to acquire superhuman abilities through exoskeletons, but for them to be able to perceive a relief in their work.
Exoskeletons are body-worn support structures that provide support by electrical or mechanical means. Exoskeletons support particularly stressed body regions by either applying controlled tensile or compressive forces to the body via physical interfaces, thereby redistributing loads on the body, or by absorbing external forces from the support structure and conducting them along the human body into the ground.
The support function makes routine tasks more comfortable. For example, in the field of medical rehabilitation management, these are used to support people with restricted mobility in order to simplify everyday tasks and improve motor skills.
The passive exoskeleton is used primarily in areas where the aim is to improve posture or provide light support for specific parts of the body.
They are used specifically and preventively to protect employees from improper loading. The passive exoskeleton works with mechanical springs, gas springs, elastic bands or, very rarely, with switchable functions. They absorb loads and convert them into energy, which can be used positively for the activity.
The active exoskeleton offers the user active support, as the name suggests. In this case, the mode of operation is provided by electrical impulses or pneumatic drive functions, and the respective strength of these impulses can be adjusted. For the active systems, the user often requires battery capacities. The control of the movement steps can be done via muscle tension, which is recorded by sensors. Alternatively, control can also be done.
Considering the current figures for musculoskeletal disorders, personal protective equipment such as exoskeletons are a promising solution. According to the German Social Accident Insurance, 22.6% of all sick days can be traced back to these disorders.
Where technical and organizational measures are not possible to relieve the back and other body regions that are subject to strain, exoskeletons could provide relief as a personal measure – in other words, wherever automation reaches its limits.
Other issues, such as demographic and social change, increasing global competition, and the shortage of skilled workers, present companies with complex challenges today.
In addition, there is often employee dissatisfaction in the workplace. Here, the use of exoskeletons can be a promising solution for production and logistics workplaces with high physical demands, for example.
In keeping with the motto “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, exoskeletons can be used preventively, i.e. before the development of illness rates and dissatisfied employees. When researching and selecting systems, it should be noted that technical and/or organizational measures must always be examined first. Only if these are insufficient or cannot be implemented should you consider exoskeletons and alternatives.
The general aim should be to protect healthy employees from complaints and ailments (primary prevention). Employees with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) who should be protected from worsening or the manifestation of a medical issue or who should resume participation in work activities.
In the areas of order fulfillment, wholesale, warehouse logistics and distribution centers, large goods and heavy loads are part of everyday life. When loading and unloading trucks or pallets, employees must remain flexible. A standardized machine often cannot accommodate the different load sizes.
Exoskeletons can make physical work more comfortable and reduce the strain to some extent. This way, you can not only reduce the risk of injury and fatigue, but you can also increase motivation and satisfaction, which can lead to a smooth handling of the shipping process.
In industry, the areas of application are as diverse as the industry itself. From metal processing and mechanical engineering to the automotive industry, electrical industry, wood processing, pharmaceutical industry, food industry, commercial kitchens or tire processors. Lifting and carrying heavy loads is usually part of everyday life in industry. However, exoskeletons can also be used for precision work, such as in electronics manufacturing or in the field of precision engineering, to improve the stability and precision of the hands and arms and to increase accuracy.
Likewise, exoskeletons can provide additional protection and safety in hazardous environments such as mining or petrochemical industries, where employees are exposed to hazards such as heavy objects, chemical substances, or high temperatures.
On the construction site, heavy loads are part of the job, whether drywall construction, painting and varnishing, plastering, assembly and disassembly, windows, doors, interior finishing, landscaping. Skilled workers often have to lift heavy building materials, tools, or equipment and cope with difficult work situations (overhead, through narrow places, on scaffolding or roofs, or in small rooms).
Exoskeletons provide flexible work support to help maintain stability and balance, making it easier to carry and work.
Exoskeletons protect the body from joint and back injuries by preventing and maintaining ergonomic posture.
In the trades (e.g. painting, electrical installation, ceiling construction, furniture construction, precision engineering), agriculture (e.g. harvesting, animal husbandry, tillage, horticulture) and caregiving (e.g. physiotherapists and care services in rehabilitation, long-term care, etc.) sectors, the fact that the body is exposed to just as much strain at work as in construction work is often overlooked.
Lifting or moving patients, operating heavy equipment for tilling or harvesting, overhead work in electrical installations or ceiling construction, or precise work in the fields of precision mechanics or even jewelry making, where the stability of hands and arms is important. In all these areas, exoskeletons can relieve the human body.
No matter in which area exoskeletons are used, they usually have one thing in common: they can relieve the human body and thus not only create better working conditions and fewer sick days, but also greater employee satisfaction.
Exoskeletons should tend to be categorized as personal or person-related measures (source: Professional organization for wood and metal work (BGHM): Exoskeletons for use at work). Due to the high degree of novelty, there is currently still a lack of a legal framework. The DIN Standards Committee (NA 023-00-08 GA Exoskelette) has been working on developing standards at the national, international and European level since 2021.
According to §4 ArbSchG (German Occupational Safety and Health Act) , hazards must be combated at their source and measures derived from them. When exoskeletons are implemented, a risk assessment should be carried out again at the workplace.
The focus should be on the user as a person, and thus on their individual characteristics and abilities. These include, for example, physical characteristics (e.g. height and build, performance capacity according to age and form on the day, state of health) and the personal perceptions and attitudes derived from them (e.g. technical affinity, self-esteem, comfort, social behavior), as well as work routine (e.g. natural movements, processes, work rhythm).
The systematic consideration of influencing factors for the exoskeleton users is just as important as the consideration of the work environment, before their characteristics and interactions are incorporated into higher-level indicators.
Once you have assessed the workplace situation, you should familiarize yourself with the following solutions at an early stage.
Seek the right advice. Take advantage of one- to two-week test phases to find out whether the exoskeleton can be the right solution and whether it will be accepted in the company. Use motion and process analyses to ergonomically optimize your activities and workplaces or let Carl Stahl accompany you directly during implementation. All services related to exoskeletons can be found here: Exoskeleton consulting from Carl Stahl GmbH.
Often, people are looking for the one solution that unfortunately doesn't exist. You have to look at the overall situation and compare the options. It is important to consider not only the exoskeleton, but also the person – in other words, you account for your specific employees. Movement analyses, for example, allow you to better classify the workplace + movement and to make comparisons with and without the exoskeleton.
There are inexpensive systems on the market for a few hundred euros, but you should critically question where these systems come from and what added value they offer. The most common exoskeletons start at €500 and can cost up to €8,000. The range is still relatively high here because there are passive and active exoskeletons. The passive models are less expensive. In the case of active exoskeletons, innovative technology is the cost-driving factor.
Motion analysis offers a great advantage for evaluating the current situation – it displays everything graphically and meaningfully, so that you get a valid result that can be used for assessment.
It is important to get your employees on board and involved from the outset. It is a new piece of equipment that will cause some changes in the movement sequence. Your employees should volunteer to test the exoskeletons and also know the reason why they are to be used. If self-motivation is given, then acceptance will also be there.
The exoskeleton should be worn for at least 30 minutes to achieve a positive effect. An activity that is constantly changing would be less useful for the exoskeleton. Here, the more changes there are, the less likely it is to be accepted by employees.
