Comau (柯马工程), a Fiat-owned company specializing in industrial automation solutions, has released its latest-generation wearable robotic exoskeleton that can help carriers lift 25 kg of load, media reported.
Shanghai Observer, a digital news platform, reported yesterday that the Shanghai subsidiary of the Italian multinational firm introduced its MATE-XB exoskeleton, catering to application scenarios including logistics and delivery, manual palletizing and depalletizing, and manual retrieval and placement.
Employees armed with the exoskeleton can also stoop to pick up or lift objects while working along production lines.
Developed in partnership with IUVO, Comau’s exoskeleton utilizes springs to help unleash human potential and augment physical capabilities.
Adoption of exoskeleton has been on the rise over the past few years, in industries ranging from logistics to manufacturing. This is because the contraption effectively reduces the risk of work-related injuries resulting from carrying heavy objects.
Specifically, Comau’s MATE-XB exoskeleton generates a force to support the wearer’s hip in performing such movements as stooping or lifting.
With a lightweight carbon fiber structure, MATE-XB is waterproof, dust-resistant and possesses corrosion-tolerant properties.
These attributes allow the device to function in an outdoor environment and even highly corrosive seawater. Easily wearable and detachable, the adjustable exoskeleton is tailored to people of all builds and statures.
A noteworthy aspect of MATE-XB is that it comes with no battery, motor or other glitch-prone components.
Characterized by an intuitive design and ease of use, the exoskeleton can maintain the agility of the user’s body, enabling him or her to switch on and off the device or between different functions.
Therefore, the user can carry on the work at hand while adjusting the exoskeleton.
Domestic suppliers of exoskeleton like ULS Robotics (傲鲨科技) are also entering the emerging space in ever larger numbers, but they have yet to confront foreign rivals like Comau head-on, due to a relatively low market penetration.
