The devices, called EksoVests, wrap around the upper body and assist when lifting or reaching overhead. It is hoped the suits will lower injuries from repetitive motion. One industry watcher said it was a significant increase in the use of exosuits in the workplace. Ekso Bionics is the company behind the devices, which were first used
at two of Ford's assembly plants in the US. Now the auto giant is bringing the technology to several more locations across seven countries: the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Romania, China and Thailand.
Ford and Ekso say workers' physical activity is comparable to a person lifting a bag of flour or a watermelon above their head 4,600 times a day. To help reduce the strain, the exosuits provide support to workers' arms as they reach up to perform manual tasks on car bodies and parts suspended above their heads, for example to screw bolts into place with power tools. The devices
also help with lifting larger under-body components into place - including skid plates and bumpers. They are not powered or controlled by an onboard computer, but instead offer passive mechanical assistance to the wearer. EksoVests fit workers between 5ft 2in and 6ft 4in tall (1.57m to 1.93m) and offer lift assistance for loads of between 5lb and 15lb per arm (2.3kg to 6.8kg).
