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Webinar: MATE-XT Shoulder Support Exoskeleton by Comau

March 24, 2021 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT

$25
Webinar Best Practices When Evaluating Upper Extremity Exoskeletons

The Wearable Robotics Association is happy to offer a new Exoskeleton Webinar on the MATE-XT passive shoulder support exoskeleton by Comau. The webinar is titled: MATE-XT Exoskeleton: Taking Lightweight, Breathable Ergonomic Support to the eXTreme.

Date: March 24, 2020
Time:
12:00 – 1:00pm (EDT)
Fees:
$0/Members & Students and $25/Non-members

You can register at the WearRA website: Register Here

The webinar will feature Comau’s Wearable Robotics Specialist, Cayla Zielinski, who will present the benefits of incorporating the latest product in Comau’s wearable ergonomics line, MATE-XT. “Discover the only commercially-available exoskeleton with Ergonomic Assessment Work-Sheet (EAWS) certification, attesting to its ability to reduce biomechanical loads during manually laborious tasks.”

Comau is an industrial exoskeleton developer. The company is a specialist in industrial automation under the direction and coordination of Fiat Chrysler. The company’s main wearable product line is the  MATE series of passive shoulder support exoskeleton for work and industry.

About the MATE-XT

Introduced in Dec of 2020, the MATE-XT is the next generation of wearable exoskeletons by COMAU. It is ruggedized for indoor and outdoor use. This exo for work and industry is made to handle water, dust, UV-light, and larger temperature ranges than its predecessor. In addition, the MATE-XT has been redesigned with a slimmer and lighter carbon-fiber structure that is also more breathable.

“Take lightweight and highly breathable ergonomic support to the eXTreme.” Similar to other shoulder support exoskeletons, the MATE-XT is intended for: “Any task that requires a prolonged used of the upper limbs, specifically at a flexion/extension angle of about 90 degrees (i.e. so-called ‘overhead’ work.”

Technical specifications (circa Dec 2020):

  • passive spring-based mechanism
  • addition of breathable fabrics
  • 8 assistance levels
  • redesigned lock/unlock mechanism for easier donning and doffing
  • lighter weight carbon fiber structure
  • intended height of users: 1.6 m (5.2 feet) to 1.9 m 6.2 feet)

The MATE-XT is designed with a partnership of IUVO and Össur and validated in a collaboration with Ospedale Valudce and Fondazioneergo. Fondazionergo has published an EAWS workplace evaluation guide based on this device: Fondazione Ergo Publishes Ergonomic Assessment Worksheet Using the MATE Exoskeleton (Aug, 2020). The EAWS is not meant to replace intensive exoskeleton testing but instead, it provides a solid starting point for objective evaluation based on measurements and observations. Furthermore, the MATE-XT is certified under EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC with “taking into account” ISO 13482/2014 technical standard on personal care robots. As of Q1 2021, the long term benefits of the MATE-XT (and indeed all exoskeletons) remain under investigation.

About The Ergonomic Assessment WorkSheet (EAWS)

Fondazione Ergo has published an ergonomic guide to quickly evaluate ergonomically challenging or repetitive tasks with and without an exoskeleton. The Ergonomic Assessment WorkSheet (EAWS) is a four-page document designed to provide a structured method for evaluating tasks and the probability of injury to the human body. The forms include pre-calculated values for common conditions that can be chosen based on observed measurements such as body position, task duration, and repetitiveness.

The initial evaluation was conducted using the MATE (Muscular Aiding Tech Exoskeleton), a passive shoulder support wearable device. The MATE is made by Comau Exoskeleton and is developed in collaboration with ÖSSUR (specialists in orthopedics) and IUVO (a spin-off of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italian BioRobotics Institute). The MATE was the first exoskeleton used with the EAWS. The EAWS serves as an “an ergonomic tool for a detailed biomechanical overload risk assessment, developed to provide an overall risk evaluation that includes every biomechanical risk to which an operator may be exposed during a working task.”

The full report and EAWS titled, ESO-EAWS Project SUMMARY REPORT, “How the exoskeleton changes the assessment of biomechanical overload risk for the EAWS system” can be found on the foundation’s website. Those interested in just the EAWS can visit http://www.eaws.it.

The EAWS is not meant to replace intensive exoskeleton testing but instead, it provides a solid starting point for objective evaluation based on measurements and observations. Fondazione Ergo is a not-for-profit organization that aims to bring together companies, trade unions, universities, and researchers in training and certification projects while remaining neutral.

Details

Date:
March 24, 2021
Time:
9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT
Cost:
$25
Event Category:
Event Tags:
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Website:
http://www.wearablerobotics.com/webinar-series/

Venue

Online
Microsoft Teams United States

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