slew writes: Okay, this isn’t Aliens 2, but hardware chain Lowe’s is “outfitting employees with a simple exoskeleton to help them on the job, ” reports The Verge. “The company has partnered with Virginia Tech to develop the technology, which makes lifting and moving heavy objects easier. The non-motorized exoskeletons are worn like a harness, with carbon fiber rods acting as artificial tendons — bending when the wearer squats, and springing back when they stand up. Lowe’s has issued four of the custom-built suits to employees at a store in Christiansburg, Virginia. The equipment has been in use for over a month and the company says early feedback is extremely positive. ‘[Employees] wear it all day, it’s very comfortable, and it makes their job easier, ‘ says Kyle Nel, the director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, adding that Lowe’s is working with scientists from Virginia Tech to conduct a proper survey of the technology’s usefulness. ‘It’s early days, but we’re doing some major studies, ‘ he says.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.
See the article here:
A Lowe’s Hardware Store Is Trialling Exoskeletons To Give Workers a Helping Hand
