Exoskeletons-as-a-service offered as helping hand to warehouse workers exhausted by pandemic
(2020/06/16)
- Reference: 1592285650
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/06/16/german_bionics_cray_x/
- Source link:
An outfit named German Bionic has noted that the freight and logistics industries "have been under enormous pressure since the beginning of the pandemic" and suggested exoskeletons-as-a-service as an - erm - helping hand for such workers.
The company yesterday unveiled a new exoskeleton called the Cray X that is designed to workers in industries that require frequent heavy lifting. Worn like a backpack, the device offsets up to 28kgs of load by "actively amplifying their movements and thus protecting the lower back from excessive strain".
The suits spew out copious data so that managers can track workers, with ERP and other application integrations a feature not a bug.
In keeping with the industry wide habit of selling everything as a service, the company is selling the suits under a "Robotics-as-a-service" model that for €699 per month on a 24-month contract provides the suit itself, software, and ongoing support.
Previous versions of the suit have been used across the aerospace industry and in Formula 1 racing, according to the company. Japanese electronics retailer Bic Camera is currently trailing the company's suits among its warehouse workers, according to Nikkei. The company said that the suits may enable it to hire older workers amid labour shortages in the country.
"With the fourth generation of our connected Cray X robotic exoskeleton, we are once again setting the standards for the entire exoskeleton industry worldwide," said German Bionic's CEO Armin G Schmidt, who added that industries made busy by COVID-10 "can now strengthen their employees' backs with our new devices."
Which sounds lovely and supportive. Unlike some companies [1]alleged to have paid scant regard to warehouse workers' well-being during the plague times. ®
Sponsored: [2]Why Container Security Matters to your Business
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/04/amazon_coronavirus_lawsuit/
[2] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8478/why-container-security-matters-to-your-business?td=wptl1956
The company yesterday unveiled a new exoskeleton called the Cray X that is designed to workers in industries that require frequent heavy lifting. Worn like a backpack, the device offsets up to 28kgs of load by "actively amplifying their movements and thus protecting the lower back from excessive strain".
The suits spew out copious data so that managers can track workers, with ERP and other application integrations a feature not a bug.
In keeping with the industry wide habit of selling everything as a service, the company is selling the suits under a "Robotics-as-a-service" model that for €699 per month on a 24-month contract provides the suit itself, software, and ongoing support.
Previous versions of the suit have been used across the aerospace industry and in Formula 1 racing, according to the company. Japanese electronics retailer Bic Camera is currently trailing the company's suits among its warehouse workers, according to Nikkei. The company said that the suits may enable it to hire older workers amid labour shortages in the country.
"With the fourth generation of our connected Cray X robotic exoskeleton, we are once again setting the standards for the entire exoskeleton industry worldwide," said German Bionic's CEO Armin G Schmidt, who added that industries made busy by COVID-10 "can now strengthen their employees' backs with our new devices."
Which sounds lovely and supportive. Unlike some companies [1]alleged to have paid scant regard to warehouse workers' well-being during the plague times. ®
Sponsored: [2]Why Container Security Matters to your Business
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/04/amazon_coronavirus_lawsuit/
[2] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8478/why-container-security-matters-to-your-business?td=wptl1956