Exoskeleton Report strives to stay ahead of new trends, bringing you the latest in wearable robotics and exoskeleton technology. Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of a brand new category in our exoskeleton catalog of devices: Research Exoskeletons. This is the first time we have made changes to the categorization of exoskeletons and wearable robotics on this website since 2016.
This new category is designed specifically for the research community. It encompasses exoskeletons that are not prototypes in development but fully functional systems available for purchase to conduct studies, simulations, or perform analysis. Whether you’re an academic, a lab director, or a company looking to evaluate the impact of exoskeleton technology, orthotics, or prosthetics, this category will make it easier for you to find and compare tools built to advance research.
Research exoskeletons are uniquely engineered to provide versatility and data insights that are invaluable for developing new findings in biomechanics, ergonomics, and human-machine interaction. They typically come with hardware and software customization options and open access to data for precise monitoring, enabling researchers to push the boundaries of understanding how humans interact with wearable technology. We invite you to explore the new category and see what solutions could fit your next project.
Research exoskeletons already existed in the catalog as a device application, and that attribute has remained unchanged. The only difference to the catalog is that a new main-level category has been created to further differentiate these types of devices from ones for medical, military, occupational/industrial, and consumer/recreational use.
Explore the New Category Now: link
As always, we value our community’s input. Are there any research exoskeletons we are missing? Take advantage of our form to add an exo device, or leave a comment below (please note that all comments are manually approved, so it may take a little time for them to appear). Alternatively, don’t hesitate to contact us through email. Let’s work together to shape the future of wearable robotics technology!
Prior Work:
- Introduction to the Commercial Exoskeletons Catalog, Dec 2016, link
- The Exoskeleton Industry in 2016, Aug 2016, link
The Exoskeleton Report’s Catalog of Devices has been provided free of charge for the last eight years, but that doesn’t mean it is free to maintain. If you find it a helpful resource, support the Exoskeleton Report via our newly established Patreon.
This is a smart addition, in my opinion, because “research exoskeleton” often gets mentioned loosely, but not always defined clearly. The distinction you make here, that these are fully functional systems available to support studies and analysis rather than just concepts in development, is actually really useful. I’ve been reading around biomechanics and wearable robotics a bit more lately and found this article here: https://www.exoskelette.com/wissenswertes/branchennews/biomechanische-aspekte-bei-exoskeletten-innovation-fuer-ergonomie-und-effizienz/
It helped me connect the hardware side with the research questions a bit better. I’m curious whether you think the biggest value of this category is discoverability, or whether it may also push manufacturers to describe their systems more transparently for researchers.
Thank you for your feedback and for sharing the article! I encourage you to try our podcast: Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics. Dr. Sugar and our guests have touched on all the topics in the article and it may give you more context.