Description

Skelex Ironhand is a modular industrial hand-support system built around a glove, power pack, carry solution, and arm straps. It is positioned for workers performing grip-intensive tasks and uses integrated sensing plus powered assistance to support grasping, helping users apply less muscular effort during repetitive or sustained hand work.

The Ironhand system consists of a glove covering all five fingers and a power pack worn in a backpack or hip-carry. The pressure sensors in the glove activate the sophisticated control system in the powerpack and pull artificial tendons in the fingers, creating a strong and natural grasping motion. Each finger is actuated independently, and the provided force is comparable to that of a human. 

The Smart Assist function uses machine learning to adapt the glove’s behavior based on how the operator uses it. In addition to the Smart Assist function, the operator can configure the system manually and adjust force, sensitivity, locking tendency, force balance, and much more. Via the remote control or the IronConnect Pro app, the operator is meant to easily adjust the glove’s behavior if necessary.

The current Skelex product page lists assistance of up to 16 N (3.6 lbf) per finger and 80 N (18.0 lbf) total, with adjustable force, sensitivity, locking behavior, and finger-linking settings, plus digital ergonomic risk assessment support based on HAL-TLV and DUET. Total system weight is listed as less than 3 kg (<6.6 lb), battery life is approximately 8 hours, sizing runs from S to XL, and the user manual states that a protective glove must be worn over the Ironhand glove.

The Ironhand® is the successor of the Robotic SEM™(Soft Extra Muscle) glove.

Specifications:

• Application(s): Industrial grip assistance / augmentation; repetitive and static hand-task support; fatigue reduction; demanding and precise hand work; ergonomic risk reduction for grip-intensive tasks.
• Certifications / Third-Party Testing: CE Declaration available on the current Skelex product page.
• Exoskeleton Characteristics (notable features): Modular system with glove, power pack, carry solution, and arm straps; integrated pressure sensors on all five fingers; remote control; app-based system feedback, settings, and usage tracking; configurable force, sensitivity, locking behavior, and finger linking; HAL-TLV and DUET ergonomic risk reporting.
• Weight of Device: less than 3 kg (<6.6 lb).
• Operating temperature is -5°C to +40°C (23°F to 104°F)

As of June 17, 2024, Skelex acquired the rights for Ironhand from Bioservo. “Through this agreement, Skelex takes over the rights to develop and sell Ironhand and expands its portfolio of exoskeletons for the industrial market. Bioservo will fully focus on the life science market and continue to develop and sell Carbonhand.”

Use Cases:

Skelex Ironhand is a powered soft hand exoskeleton for grip-intensive industrial work. It uses a sensorized glove and powered assistance to reduce hand and forearm effort during repetitive, static, or precision tasks, and Skelex positions it for work such as hammering, drilling, carrying materials, handling boxes, operating tools, and other sustained gripping tasks. Current Skelex materials also note configurable assistance settings and up to 80 N of added grip force.

In other words, there are two use cases: the obvious one, when something needs to be gripped or squeezed tightly (such as wine-pruning shears), and when a tool needs to be gripped tightly for prolonged periods (like wrenches or hand-held tools).

Skelex, Saturnusstraat 95, 2516 AG, The Hague, website  Note: Skelex acquired the rights (from Bioservo) to develop and sell Ironhand from in June 2024.

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Exoskeleton Report does not endorse one exoskeleton product over another.  The exoskeleton catalog is purely for educational purposes.  The catalog is meant to provide an easily accessible birds-eye view of the exoskeleton industry, and a quick method to sort exoskeletons by type and purpose.  All prices are approximate and are meant to provide a general sense of the cost of the devices.

This exoskeleton catalog entry has been made with the assistance of Stefano Carisi, MS in BioRobotics and Biomechanical Design from the Delft University of Technology an experienced product manager in human-machine collaboration.