After six years of development work and a successful test program in several industrial companies, the first exoskeleton developed and produced in Germany by Augsburg-based robotics specialist German Bionic Systems is now going into series production. The German Bionic Cray X model, which was recently presented at the VDI conference "Assistance Robots in Production", was specially designed for the manual handling of goods and tools and reduces compression pressure in the lower back area when lifting heavy loads.

Exoskeletons or exoskeletons are human-machine systems that combine human intelligence with machine power by supporting or amplifying the wearer's movements, thus significantly reducing the risk of occupational accidents and strain-related illnesses. They are used where human labor cannot be sensibly replaced by full automation or robotic systems. This includes work processes in industrial production, for example in the automotive industry, but also physically demanding work in the construction industry, logistics or the care sector.

(Image: German Bionic Systems)

"Due to the extremely positive feedback and full order books, we are now focusing on scaling and further technological development with the aim of expanding our position as the leading German provider of active exoskeletons for use in production," says Dr. Peter Heiligensetzer, CEO of German Bionic Systems.

According to the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs for short) are responsible for 23% of all days of incapacity for work in Germany and lead to an estimated 10 billion euros in lost production and 17 billion euros in lost gross value added every year. MSDs are mainly caused by incorrect physical strain when lifting and carrying at work.

(Image: German Bionic Systems)

"Exoskeletons are not intended to create superhumans for production, but to protect employees from dangerous directions of movement that lead to musculoskeletal disorders in the medium and long term by providing physical ergonomic support," explains Heiligensetzer. Of course, wearing comfort plays a key role in the acceptance of the new technology. "One focus of our development work in recent months has therefore been the further miniaturization of components and the use of a lighter, more powerful battery." The German Bionic CRAY X uses micromechanical components and an ergonomic, ultra-lightweight carrying system. This enables the wearer to pick up and set down heavy components from non-ergonomic positions, for example.

Increase productivity and reduce costs for the healthcare system

In order to advance research into intelligent human-machine and AI systems, Dr. Heiligensetzer and his team are working on the development of a software platform based on open source technology and open standards. This will be used to anonymize and make freely available the data obtained for the purpose of further developing the German Bionic Cray X and other active systems for analysis and research purposes. "In addition to reducing costs for our healthcare system while simultaneously increasing productivity, this technology has the potential to tackle another pressing problem in our society. Against the backdrop of demographic change and a postulated shortage of skilled workers in Germany, exoskeletons enable the creation of age-independent jobs."