Exoskeleton Technology Newsletter Archive April 3, 2025, Week #14

Last week in Exoskeleton and Wearable Robotics Technology News: dramatic downsizing of NIOSH, new trials and studies on mining and medical exoskeletons, notable keynote presentation available for free, and research pushing the boundaries of assistive technologies. Job opportunities, links to upcoming events, and more are also included. (AI Generated Summary of the Newsletter):

• NIOSH budget cuts: Two-thirds of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) staff reportedly let go, raising concerns about the future of workplace safety and ergonomics in the U.S. – ExR commentary: NIOSH has never officially recommended industrial exoskeletons; however, these cuts could still negatively impact the field.
• Applied Ergo 2025 keynote: Dr. Karl Zelik presents on practical paths to commercializing ergonomic solutions and unnecessary industry hype.
• Mining exoskeletons: A successful underground field trial demonstrates increasing trust in exoskeletons for heavy industrial applications after extensive lab testing.

Medical Sector

• Wandercraft clinical trial: First participant enrolled in a U.S. clinical trial for FDA approval of Wandercraft’s personal exoskeleton, continuing progress in medical exo adoption.
• WIM robotic hip exoskeleton: A lightweight, single-motor wearable for elderly walking assistance shows promising results in a four-week program, though lacking a control group.
• Robotimize and Rehabotics alliance: A strategic partnership was announced to globally relaunch the MirrorHand neurorehabilitation exoskeleton.

Military Sector

• Chinese military exoskeletons: Sightings of full-body hybrid systems (passive legs, active upper body), possibly representing two different models, raise global interest and concern.

Research and Innovation

• Dynamic exosuit tuning: A Nature paper explores how reducing assistance levels in soft exosuits impacts both biomechanics and user perception, hinting at future adaptability features.
• AE4W shoulder exoskeleton: A shaft-driven, servo-powered prototype shows promise for industrial upper-body assistance, but with concerns about its 10 kg weight and comfort.

Consumer Technology

• DNSYS Lite: A new, more affordable exoskeleton model with reduced torque and motion range targets broader adoption in lighter-duty applications.

Careers and Community

• #ExoJobs postings: Open roles include a postdoc at Harvard’s Bionics Lab, product managers and data scientists at REEV, and technical sales at ExoIQ and Hurotics.
• ExR stats: 1,139 subscribers with a 38% open rate and 24 new sign-ups for March.
• Podcast episode #11: Focuses on insights from nearly a decade of implementing exoskeletons in the workplace.

Support and Acknowledgments

Heartfelt thanks to our paid Patreon subscribers: 

• Main Tier: SupperEssence, Karl, George Woodland, Stefano Toxiri
  
• V.I.P: Volker Bartenbach, Rita Vazquez-Torres, MinMar
• Corporate Tier: Humotech, Auxivo, HeroWear, Digity

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