Industrial Exoskeletons: Are We Ready for Prime Time Yet?

What is an exoskeleton? Exoskeletons are external devices that are worn for an intended purpose such as rehabilitation or replacement for lost physical functions like walking. Others have considered these systems from what earlier might have been a more science fiction perspective – such as increased mechanical leveraging, strength, and speed – though such applications are starting to become science fact. Examples of such emerging applications have, until now, been directed toward military applications, such as developing the “super soldier” concept. Exoskeleton technologies are also being increasingly applied in medical scenarios. However, industrial applications are still in their infancy despite a dramatic increase in commercial products being released to the market. With this infancy, designers of systems have focused on system function; but, what about user population safety, fit accommodation, and regulatory concerns? How should designers design for human user concerns while targeting system function? What considerations should customers and stakeholders contemplate before buying that next commercial off-the-shelf system? Ultimately, how do we use ergonomic approaches to better design, assess, and use exoskeletons to benefit labor-intensive occupational tasks, or most effectively adopt exoskeletons to enhance work that involves physical fatigue and risk of musculoskeletal injury? The session will start with initial lectures and introductions from the panel, followed by an encouraged panel discussion with the audience led by the moderators.