There is a unique opportunity on the horizon, the likes of which have never been seen before in the exoskeleton industry. The construction tools manufacturer Festool has announced a pilot for professionals to trial their new powered shoulder support exoskeleton for free. In the past, there have been medical exoskeleton studies where participants can get access to the technology, but this is the first of its kind for an occupational/industrial-powered exoskeleton.
Unfortunately, the pilot is limited to select European countries. The offer is open only to professionals in Germany, The Netherlands, France, Sweden, Italy, and Poland. The company gets to test the wearable in real-life scenarios in the course of day-to-day work, and users can try one of the few powered exoskeletons for work and industry for free. This is a win-win situation, especially considering that the ExoActive (which some may know as the S700) has been years in the making!
Festool has been manufacturing powered tools for over a hundred years. Whether it is a power saw, a grinder, or a power drill, the company has spent a century creating the lightest and easiest-to-use tools it can design. But there are limitations on current technology, and there remain multiple overhead tasks that are challenging to execute without fatigue and prolonged risk of injury for even the spryest of professionals.
Exoskeletons for overhead work could reduce the risk of injury for workers or allow aging ones to continue doing what they do best for longer in their careers (if they want to). This is why the TTS Group has brought Festool and exoIQ under one roof to create and distribute a wearable device to assist with using their power tools.
Applications of the ExoActive:
Festool envisions the ExoActive exoskeleton to be best suited for tasks that require working at chest level or higher. Some of the examples they list on their website include ceiling work, paneling, grinding, roofing (when working from the interior), sanding, drilling, and painting.
The current version of the ExoActive that is available to test for free is powered by an 18V battery, which is compatible with the entire Festool 18 Volt system. The battery, in turn, powers motors that provide an active boost to the arms and neck. It is planned that the wearable robot will become available to purchase at selected locations later in 2023.
More information:
- ExoActive Study Homepage, As accessed on March 2023, https://www.festool.com/campaigns/exoactive
- Festool needs you, Press release for the technical press, Festool, Wendlingen (Germany) – March 2023, link to the English language version: link
- ExoIQ website: https://www.exoiq.com
Featured image (top): The ExoActive gives users an added boost when their arms get tired and takes the load off their neck, courtesy of Festool GmbH.
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