4 February 2019:Leading German medical technology company Ottobock is revolutionising the capacity for manual overhead labour with innovative wearable tech body suit, the Paexo Shoulder exoskeleton, which could provide major benefits when it comes to the Australian aviation industry.
The upper body exoskeleton, which is now used in 500 plants and factories worldwide, has just launched in the Australian market following its initial release in Europe 18 months ago. There it has already been used by aviation-related companies such as European multinational aerospace giant Airbus SE for core production employees working on its range of commercial aircraft, helicopters, military transports, satellites and launch vehicles.
The exoskeleton was designed to relieve muscular stress for workers who specifically spend long periods of time working with their arms raised. When people wearing the Paexo Shoulder raise their arms, the pads around the biceps transfer weight to the hips thanks to mechanical cable pull technology. This provides noticeable relief for the muscles and joints in the shoulder region. This makes it particularly beneficial for people working in airplane hangars installing or repairing plane-related elements overhead.
Airbus SE employees more than 130,000 workers worldwide and in 2018 had a revenue of AUD$104billion. As the world's second biggest aerospace and defence company, behind major competitor, Boeing, it prides itself on having a forward-looking strategy based on cutting-edge technologies, as well as digital and scientific excellence.
Recently Ottobock was highlighted prominently in a presentation given by Airbus' COO Michael Schoellhorn at the company's annual 2019 Innovation Day held in Toulouse, France.
In his presentation - The Industrial challenge at Airbus: Production System Excellence as an enabler for continued success - Schoellhorn outlined how the company, whose head office is based in Leiden, Netherlands, is looking to digitise and automate in a people centric way in order to adapt, innovate and get the best out of their workforce.
The ongoing health and safety of their workers assisted by the newest ergonomic technology is one of those major considerations. Currently the Paexo Shoulder exoskeleton is being tested in Airbus' structure production, paint shops and final assemblies. Workers are also supported by smart wearables such as smart glasses for equipment installation.
Schoellhorn pointed out that to successfully grow the company in the future they have to ensure the supply chain can sustain by looking more into automation and robotics whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. With people now living on average well into their 80s and beyond, and retirement age becoming older, the issue for many companies is how to retain and support staff as their health needs increase, particularly those specialising in manual tasks.
Whilst Airbus will be looking to transition from heavy automation to light, and increasingly engage collaborative robots, Schoellhorn said aerospace production will still continue to require a high manual work content.
Additionally, the exoskeleton is also being tested at a turbine manufacturer at the moment. KLM is also testing the exo with workers donning it when required to perform cleaning tasks using very elongated cleaning rods requiring extensive arm use.
The Paexo Shoulder is a passive exoskeleton which does not need an energy supply, so it can be donned within a moment's notice without the need to power up. Workers wear the Paexo Shoulder close to their body, similar to a backpack. It provides mechanical support for individual body segments in certain postures and movements through the interplay of springs or elastic bands. This type of preventive relief could reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the shoulder region over the long term.
In Australia these disorders are a common cause for inability to work and are a significant cost for companies and healthcare systems. Safe Work Australia reports 60 per cent of all serious claims between 2009-2010 and 2013-2014 were related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affecting areas such as the joints, vertebrae, muscles and tendons. Some 76 per cent of injuries relate to MSDs.
Lotte Koenig, Sales & Business Development Manager Australia for Ottobock Industrials, said apart from the aviation industry, the Paexo Shoulder has great potential to increase productivity and support workers from a very wide variety of industries in Australia such as all aspects of manufacturing industry including ship building, automotive and rail; general maintenance and repair; trade and construction; farming and agriculture; food processing; and engineering.
"Paexo Shoulder is especially lightweight - in fact, it is the lightest exoskeleton of its kind, weighing in at less than two kilograms," said Ms Koenig. "As the design is based on natural human movements, users can walk, sit and also pick up objects with it. The suit can be worn comfortably for more than eight hours while providing noticeable relief for the shoulders and arms during overhead work.
"It also comes in an adjustable one size fits all model, so there's no need to buy different sizes. This means each company has full flexibility when the exoskeleton is needed in different departments."
Retailing for $6,900, the Paexo Shoulder launched in Germany in 2018 after six years in development with Volkswagen. It is now in international use across many different countries including most countries in Europe, the US, Canada, Mexico and India.
The use of exoskeletons in general is expected to become more commonplace in the future in workplaces given high injury rates. Safe Work Australia reports that musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent in the Australian population affecting 6.9 million people between 2014-2015 according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. For Australia's workforce, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the leading work health and safety problem, both in frequency and cost which in 2012-13 totalled more than $24 billion.
Given the need for our increasingly ageing workforce to remain healthy and productive, implementation of more effective workplace risk management practices to reduce WMSD risk is increasingly urgent. Whilst musculoskeletal disorders may result from a single event, more commonly they arise from cumulative exposure to one or more hazards over an extended period.
Many of these issues are caused by manual material handling tasks, which include lifting, lowering, holding or carrying loads. Twisting, bending and overhead work also increase the risk of a work-related disorder, decreasing productivity.
Situated in Duderstadt, south west of Berlin, Ottobock has been responsible for several innovations in prosthetics, including the C-Leg, a computerized knee that adaptively varies its passive resistance to suit the patient's different walking gaits, and the Michelangelo Hand, a fully articulated robotic hand prosthesis. Ottobock has also been a partner to the Paralympic Games since 1988.
The Ottobock Paexo product range also includes neck and wrist supports. The company will also be launching a much-anticipated back support exoskeleton in 2020.