Ford is testing the EksoVest, a particular exoskeleton that helps workers lift weights while decreasing health risks
Different companies are starting to propose exoskeletons to be used in factories to facilitate the work of workers. This technology can allow, for example, paraplegic patients to perform any action without any particular difficulty. But, as mentioned, also within companies.
In companies that will invest in Industry 4.0 these particular exoskeletons will allow employees to perform certain jobs in total safety. The work exoskeleton prototype from the Lowe's company demonstrated how these customized mechanical body arms will be increasingly popular within tomorrow's companies, including in SMEs. The giant Ford, on the other hand, is investing in the EksoVest, a new exoskeleton that supports the bodies, especially the back, of employees when they have to perform very strenuous jobs that require above-average efforts.
Exoskeletons for Employee Health
Ford has done research within its own companies and realized that a normal employee may perform strenuous work and lifting weights hundreds of times a day and thousands of times a year. To avoid poor posture and physical problems, Ford decided to test the EksoVest. Through this 3D-printed girdle, made by the company Ekso Bionics, workers are helped to lift weights and do not have to make constant efforts. The EksoVest is designed to fit the shape of the worker's back and torso and can be used virtually anywhere, from construction sites to factories. Ford is currently testing this exoskeleton at several of its U.S. companies, but as early as 2018, the EksoVest will also be used in factories in Europe and South America.