EksoVests born out of exoskeleton technology could be a thing of the future
Industrial workers toil a lot when comes to going about doing their day-to-day activities at the workplace. The amount of stress their muscles undergo while they do their hard work has been a concern for a long.
When workers at industrial sites exert themselves, there is also a chance of wear and tear, which result in injuries that call for medical help. Further, injuries have also been found as a reason for the high rates of sick leaves.
Help is at hand, of late. A study by the University of Gävle in Sweden has brought forth a new innovative solution. Called EksoVests, the innovation is a type of exoskeletons that promises to reduce muscle strain by 60 per cent for industrial workers.
Normally, the world tends to see exoskeletons as just machine-made suits. They are more than that. An exoskeleton can be an intelligent skeleton that could be attached to the body in the form of a suit. Further, such an exoskeleton can have robotic properties where added strength and endurance is transferred to the person wearing it.
EksoVests can help workers cut sick leaves
The new concept of EksoVests could look like being far from real, but they are already in use in industrial sites and they have been found to reduce sick leaves by a good number.
Going by what the researchers at the University of Gävle say, exoskeletons can make for a means to more productivity and less absenteeism due to injuries and illnesses.
It is also being said that the EksoVests technology can also provide the added advantage of making industrial workers’ lives better. This is because EksoVests can help them cut down on their workloads a lot. Aspects such as tiredness and fatigue also do not prove to be a hassle once they are worn at work.
As the name suggests EksoVests are exoskeletons that can be worn over the upper body while going about doing drilling jobs. Researchers have been able to gauge muscle effort using sensors, and they have found that muscle fatigue was reduced by up to 60 per cent in those wearing the EksoVests. Earlier studies have also proved that workers at the US car manufacturer Ford had reduced sick absenteeism by 85% after they wore EksoVests.
Rise in productivity, snip in sick absenteeism seen as advantages
Though EksoVests are a bit expensive at the moment, with costs ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 Euros, it needs to be seen from the angle of the benefits they could offer in the long term. When doing heavy tasks, the advantages they offer weighs more in terms of productivity at the industrial sites as wells as the health of the workers.
It remains to be seen whether EksoVests would be a common sight at industrial sites in the long term. The advantages are commendable, and industries across the world could look at adopting these innovative products if they are to benefit in terms of fewer sick workers and more productivity.
Feature Image: University of Gävle