HILTI has announced the launch of a ‘new and improved’ version of its wearable EXO-O1 skeleton, the EXO-S, which offers relief for above shoulder level tasks.
Produced in conjunction with Ottobock Industrials, the updated skeleton is able to fit a more diverse range of bodies, with additional support and comfort.
Hilti said musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a ‘significant’ cause of health problems in the workplace, especially in the construction industry where workers are often tasked with repetitive over head and shoulder jobs.
The firm added that ergonomic best-practice tells us that to reduce the risk of injuries we must aim for workers to be in a posture ‘as neutral as possible’ and to avoid excessive or high-frequent effort. Load-reducing exoskeletons are also designed to complement other health and safety solutions such as moving and lifting aids.
The new EXO-S is suitable for all-day use, giving users freedom of movement and weighing just 2.4kg. It is also customisable, with the potential to add a neck support for extra relief during the most demanding overhead tasks.
Pre-defined steps are also said to make it easy to adjust to different bodies, which means more sharing amongst workers.
