Do you keep up with exoskeleton technology news? If so, how do you know you have seen everything for the week?

Email Version Archive:

Text Version Archive:

Initially released only to paying Patreon supporters, Episode 30 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, which covers CES 2026 in Las Vegas the busiest consumer electronics show, is now released for everyone! I counted 21 booths with relevant products and did my best to personally try on the devices and talk to as many representatives as possible… Exoskeleton Report

DNSYS Summer Sales on the Knee Z1 

The official store currently lists the Z1 Dual Joint at $1,099 and says it is in stock in Europe and the Americas, while other regions and the Pro version remain in various preorder stages. Note that DNSYS explicitly classifies it as a mobility aid rather than a medical or rehabilitation device… DNSYS.com

Why Exoskeleton Onboarding May Matter as Much as the Hardware

A new Corset Saint-Francis article describes an ongoing Université Laval study that combines laboratory testing with several weeks of actual workplace use of the TEOS lumbar-support exoskeleton. Preliminary observations include lower back-extensor activity and lower perceived fatigue across a work shift, along with a temporary increase in abdominal activity during initial uses that diminished after several days. The researchers interpret that pattern as evidence of motor adaptation rather than a simple, immediate reduction in muscular effort. First-day exoskeleton assessments may miss the eventual benefit—or the eventual problems—because users’ movement strategies change over time. That has practical implications for training, pilot duration, worker acceptance, and procurement evaluations. – Corset Saint-Francis

New Japanese assist-suit company joins the trade association

The Assist Suit Association announced on July 12 that Support Jacket Inc. (usually referred to as Virgo Wave Inc. on Exoskeleton Report) became a full member effective July 1. The association says the company was established on June 1, 2026, and develops, manufactures, and sells assist suits. – Assist Suit Association

WearRAcon Europe 2025, ExoPark, and ExoWorkAthlon at A+A: A Report from Düsseldorf

As a follow up to the podcast episode 29, WearRA has published a full article reporting from the two-day conference and the four-day trade fair with images, links to the schedule, official proceedings + posters, and more! Read the entire article on WearableRobotics.com

Reveal Project MARCH XI

Recorded live from After from the podium of the Stadsgehoorzaal in Leiden. YouTube

Jamie McAnsh Completes the Grouse Grind Using the SpryStep® Agilik™

Bionic Power is pleased to announce that para-athlete and adventurer Jamie McAnsh successfully completed Vancouver’s iconic Grouse Grind while using the SpryStep® Agilik™, reaching the summit in 2 hours and 28 minutes.

The achievement was made possible through the collaboration between Bionic Power and Thuasne, whose expertise in lower-limb orthotics helped bring the SpryStep Agilik solution to users seeking greater mobility and endurance… Bionic-Power.com

Robotimize and ASPINE Wellness Unite Technology and Spinal Care at BNI Singapore

Robotimize and ASPINE Wellness used a Business Network International event in Singapore to demonstrate how rehabilitation technology can complement clinician-led spinal care. The exoskeleton centerpiece was RoboCT’s GoGo wearable exoskeleton, presented in person as a potential tool for supporting mobility and gait rehabilitation; MINATO Medical Science’s SuperTrac automated traction system was also demonstrated… LinkedIn

Ukraine Opens the Race to Build Combat Exoskeletons

The new development in July 2026 is Ukraine’s launch of a special Brave1 grant track integrated with BraveTech EU, with exoskeletons newly listed as one of more than 40 priority technology areas. Projects may receive up to UAH 8 million ($175k); per project regardless of their current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) the expected result is a working prototype or a meaningful increase in the technology’s TRL. United24Media

ExR’s Perspective: This is most likely the first time a government has made a formal, open public, request for military exoskeletons.

Motor-free hip exosuit via high-output fibrous dielectric elastomer actuators

Researchers have developed a lightweight, motor-free exosuit powered by soft dielectric elastomer “artificial muscles,” addressing a longstanding limitation of these actuators: although flexible and lightweight, they previously struggled to generate enough force and mechanical energy for practical wearable robotics. By bundling fiber-shaped actuators, the new system achieved a blocked stress of 381.6 mN/mm² – a measure of its force-generating capacity – while remaining soft and compact. In a small proof-of-concept study involving six participants, active hip assistance reduced the net metabolic cost of walking by 13.9%, suggesting the suit could make walking meaningfully less strenuous. However, the limited sample size and unresolved questions around long-term comfort, durability, electrical safety, and real-world performance mean larger studies are still needed. Science.Org

Can Exoskeletons Benefit From Situational Awareness?

This is an emerging trend: Most powered exoskeletons react only after their sensors detect that a movement has already begun. Researchers led by Loris Roveda are exploring a more proactive approach that combines cameras and gaze tracking to identify the object a wearer intends to handle, estimate the upcoming task, and prepare assistance before the lift begins… Automate (Assosiation for Advanced Automaton)

Improving Situational Awareness Through Fatigue Reduction With Exoskeletons

New research in ASCE OPEN examines how reducing physical fatigue with exoskeleton assistance may influence situational awareness during construction work. Rather than treating exoskeletons only as ergonomic devices, the paper connects physical support with an important jobsite-safety question: whether reducing fatigue can help workers preserve awareness of surrounding hazards while performing demanding tasks. This broadens exoskeleton evaluation beyond muscle activity and perceived exertion to include the cognitive and safety implications of wearing an assistance system.

ExR’s Perspective: this research completely contradicts prior work that new users of exoskeletons are slower at doing math or reacting to a color change signal while doing physical tasks when introduced to exoskeletons… it is of course that both studies are correct, and it is all about acclimation and test parameters.

Jobs, calendar, special thanks to our Patreon Subscribers!