The Innovation Labs — the internal research unit of US hardware store Lowe's — has partnered with Virginia Tech’s Assistive Robotics Laboratory to develop exoskeletons to help employees lift heavy items. The technology will be trialled at a Lowe's store in Christiansburg, Virginia where employees have access to four of the wearable exoskeletons. “Customers are asking for more and more, so we wanted to do something that was going to make it easier for them to get around,” said Rob Smith, director of innovation labs at Lowe's. Firms such as Hyundai and Panasonic are also exploring the use of wearable exoskeletons to assist workers.
The Innovation Labs — the internal research unit of US hardware store Lowe's — has partnered with Virginia Tech’s Assistive Robotics Laboratory to develop exoskeletons to help employees lift heavy items. The technology will be trialled at a Lowe's store in Christiansburg, Virginia where employees have access to four of the wearable exoskeletons. The suits incorporate carbon-fibre trusses and motors to help transfer a wearer's energy more effectively. Firms such as Hyundai and Panasonic are also exploring the use of wearable exoskeletons to assist workers.