Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have teamed up to create X-ble Shoulder, a wearable robot designed to increase human productivity while reducing musculoskeletal injuries and fatigue. The exoskeleton was designed to help workers perform a variety of overhead tasks, such as mechanics underneath a car. It can reduce the load on the shoulders by 60% and the tension of the deltoid muscles by 30%.

One of the features of the X-ble Shoulder is that the exoskeleton does not have an electric drive. It also has good endurance: according to the developers, the X-ble Shoulder is designed to perform 700 thousand. annual tightening and opening cycles of the mechanism.

The kit includes a soft vest that is easy to remove when you need to clean or adjust the operation of mechanical components. Buyers will be offered two versions of the X-ble Shoulder: standard and adjustable. The first option is for work areas that require a lot of movement. It offers approximately 2.9 kg of auxiliary force. The second option is designed to perform repetitive tasks when the employee must repeat his actions many times. Here, 3.7 kg of auxiliary force is provided. This means that a person can lift something weighing up to 3.7 kg with minimal effort.

Developers are confident that the X-ble Shoulder is suitable for use in a variety of industries, from construction and automotive to aerospace, shipbuilding and agriculture. Early next year, the X-ble Shoulder will begin to be used in Hyundai and Kia’s production facilities and service points in South Korea, and the device will enter foreign markets by 2026.

The companies are also jointly developing another robot called X-ble Bel, which will help lift heavy loads and reduce the likelihood of back and waist injuries. Additionally, the X-ble MEX model is being developed for use in medical facilities in the process of assisting in the rehabilitation of people with musculoskeletal injuries. The cost of the announced X-ble Shoulder was not disclosed.