Overall, this was a positive year for exoskeleton technology. No, it has not reached mainstream adoption yet. There is more work to be done to achieve that milestone. As we wind down 2024, I would like to take a minute to reflect on the most impactful news and developments of the main exo applications. This list was compiled by Dr. Tom Sugar and me. How does it compare to what you would rank as the top news or developments in the world of exoskeletons, exosuits, and wearable robotics? Comment below or on our social media pages.
Medical:
This one is easy: Medicare Sets Reimbursement Rates for Personal Exoskeletons: A Milestone for Accessibility was by far the most significant news regarding medical exos of 2024. While deliberations and early rulings started becoming public towards the end of 2023, it was not until April of 2024 that we finally had a dollar value. There was significant fear that coverage could be for as little as one-third of the asking price, which would have been a major disappointment, but fortunately, that was not the case.
Industrial/Occupational:
If you needed to summarize what will be different in the realm of wearables for workers in 2024, what would it be? There have been more end-user testimonials than ever, more deployments, and more evidence that a new wave of ergonomic solutions, including exos, can help make work safer. I think that the breakthrough change in 2024 is that we can now openly talk about increasing productivity with occupational exoskeletons without sacrificing safety, and the top article would go to Can You Have Your Cake and Eat it Too.
Military:
What happens in the world of wearable devices for defense applications doesn’t always make its way to the public domain. Therefore, we don’t really know everything that has happened in 2024. For example, there is clearly a rise in interest once again in gravity compensation exos that promise to drive the weight of a heavy backpack or body armor directly into the ground, offloading overloaded joints of the dismounted infantry. There was also another interchange meeting, but only partial information about what was discussed or the agreed-upon next steps is available. However, out of the news available to the public, the Royal Australian Air Force Ordering 470 Exosuits is an easy-to-point to impactful event for 2024.
Consumer:
By all accounts, 2024 was a good year for consumer exoskeletons. Kickstarter campaigns from 2023 have started shipping, except for Enhanced Robotics, which appears to have gone radio silent. Ski~Mojo reports that more and more users take advantage of their skiing exoskeleton each year, making them one of the most prolific exo companies. The partnership between sports clothing juggernaut Arc’teryx and the Google X spin-off Skip successfully captured the public’s attention.
Competitions & STEM:
Even without the usual WearRA Innovation Challenge, 2024 was an unprecedented year for exoskeleton technology competitions: Pushing the Limits of Exoskeletons: Unprecedented Five Global Competitions in One Year. Simultaneously, Auxivo released a new generation of EduExo STEM kits and began publishing reports of how students and universities are taking advantage of these ready-to-go learning packing packages. Not to be outdone, Humotech also used 2024 to launch new wearables for their Bowden cable-driven Caplex system designed for gait studies, rapid prototyping, and emulating already existing devices.
This is our list of the top exoskeleton, exosuit, wearable robotics, and physical human augmentation stories for 2024. How does it compare to yours? Did we miss anything? Don’t hesitate to comment below, and take advantage of our podcast and newsletter (subscribe here) to stay up-to-date on everything that transpires in 2025! Also, please note that we are experimenting with Patreon-exclusive articles as well.
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