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HOME › THINK BIG › HOW CONSTRUCTION EXOSKELETONS WORK: AN ANIMATED GUIDE

How Construction
Exoskeletons Work: An
Animated Guide
Date: August 27, 2019 by: Liam Stannard
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Exoskeletons are slowly making their way into the The Anatomy
of a Smart City
construction industry to increase safety and
in 2020
productivity for all workers. These machines aim to
reduce accumulated strain gained from repetitive
6 Profitable
and prolonged tasks throughout the work day. These
Ways Drones
tasks range from screwing car bolts overhead in a in
Construction
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car factory to drilling into20% OFF

walls Hauling
while Whenup
holding You Book Online! Are Changing
Projects
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heavy equipment.
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The Real
These tools range from supporting a worker’s back,
Science of
legs and hands to supporting the user’s entire body. 'Rick and
Read on to learn how exoskeletons are improving Morty'.
Leveling
both safety and productivity in the construction
Methods &
industry. Standards

What Are Exoskeletons? The

Advantages Of
Exoskeletons are wearable machines suited with A
motorized joints that aim to minimize strain and Computerized
Payroll
injury by providing lift support, weight
System
dispersion, posture correction and other
capabilities. Exoskeletons are sometimes referred 3D Printed
to as exosuits. These machines are mainly used for Homes:
Everything
physical rehabilitation, but are increasingly used by
You Need to
workers in construction and manufacturing. Know

Many contractors are confident that wearable

How to
technology, like construction exoskeletons, will Enhance a
improve the construction industry. The 2018 Q4 Small
Business
Commercial Construction Index found that:
through
Technology
23% of contractors believe they’ll adopt wearable
technology onsite in the next three years.
Construction
Nearly three quarters of contractors believe wearable
Technology to
technology will improve onsite safety.
Watch in 2020
More than 1 in 3 contractors believe wearable
technology can improve labor productivity.
How
Construction

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Depending on the manufacturer, When You
exoskeletons areBook Online! Robots Will
Change
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purely mechanical or operate with a mix of
Industry in
Equipment
mechanics Rental
and electricity. Locations
The frames can be About Think Big 2020
comprised of hard material, like metal, or soft
materials, like cloth and textiles, depending on the
suit and its function.

Mechanical exoskeletons use no electricity. Users

enjoy longevity in the field since they don’t need
recharging nor does the user need to carry a power
source. Most mechanical exoskeletons take weight
from a specific area of the body (like the arms and
shoulders) and redistribute it to another (like the
core and waist) to reduce strain and fatigue.

Partial or fully electric exoskeletons are typically

more powerful than mechanical exoskeletons and
handle more weight. They can target more specific
areas, like the hand, and increase pressure and
strength where needed.

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The main drawback of electric Hauling WhenisYou
exoskeletons Book Online!
their
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Maintaining power: To maintain electric exoskeletons,

you’ll need to either replace the batteries or recharge the
suits to power them back up.

Added weight: Batteries also add weight, potentially

impeding mobility.

Extra time needed: You sometimes need to wait for the

suits to cool off before replacing the batteries.

Increased hazard: Depending on the model, you may

need to manage cables from the suit to its power source.

Benefits of Construction Exoskeletons

Construction work involves several tasks that can

potentially lead to injury as we’ve mentioned. In fact,
everyday activities like lifting and carrying heavy
objects are the leading cause of strain injuries in
construction. Certain construction exoskeletons
directly combat these issues. The CDC reported that
using an exoskeleton decreased pressure on the
spine and decreased fatigue, among other findings.
Below are a few benefits of using construction
exoskeletons.

Reduces injury and strain: Exoskeletons distribute

weight more evenly and reduce strain on different parts
of the body. This can lead to a decreased risk of long-
term injuries for construction workers.

Increases productivity: Workers using construction

exoskeletons experience less fatigue and can complete

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Contractors who Think Big
are normally limited by age and physical capabilities can
endure more strenuous activities.

How Does an Exoskeleton Work?

Exoskeletons work in various ways depending on

the part of the body they’re outfitted for and the way
they’re powered.

Many exoskeletons shift weight from one part of the

body to other parts, like from your arms to your legs,
to reduce continuous strain, increase endurance and
improve productivity. The process to accomplish this
varies between the different types of exoskeletons.
For example, some mounted arm exosuits achieve
this by using a counterbalance that transfers weight
on the arm down to the ground.

Other exoskeletons aim to enhance the user’s

strength. For example, power gloves can be used to
increase grip strength for users who have trouble
grasping tools. This is accomplished using sensors
in the glove to add extra force in the user’s hand and
improve grip.

Several construction exoskeletons are personalized

to fit the user’s body type and most come in different
sizes. Exoskeletons today are becoming more sleek
and lightweight to make them easier to wear
throughout a long work day and maneuver through
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Types of Construction Exoskeletons

There are several types of exoskeletons that

specifically assist construction workers. We’ve
classified these suits based on the area of the body
they support. Read our list below to learn all about
the benefits of varying construction exoskeleton
types.

Power Gloves

Power gloves fit around the hand to improve

dexterity for those who experience weakness or
other issues with grasping tools and materials.
Improved grip is helpful when carrying heavy hand
tools or picking up objects.

The Ironhand from Bioservo is a soft power glove

that detects the user’s natural movement via
sensors. The glove senses when the user is about to
grip an object and increases power based on the

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object’s weight. The glove OFFcollects
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assess gripping situations that pose an ergonomic
risk to theEquipment
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Arm and Shoulder Support

These exosuits support workers who lift heavy tools

and materials above the waist. Arm and support
exosuits are ideal for overhead tasks like drilling,
cutting and grinding. They support both shoulders
and arms to lessen the strain of continuously holding
heavy tools for an extended period of time.

The Ekso Bionics’ EksoVest uses springs in both

arms to give the user lift assistance while the
Airframe Exoskeleton from Levitate Technologies
uses a pulley system to achieve this task. SuitX’s
shoulderX uses springs to support the user. These
are all good examples of shoulder support
exoskeletons since they are lightweight, low profile
and do not impede mobility.

Back Support

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Back support exosuits typically fit around your

shoulders, back and waist to reduce stress on the
back from lifting heavy objects. Some back support
exoskeletons correct your posture when bending or
lifting depending on the manufacturer.

The V22 ErgoSkeleton from Strong Arm Tech acts

as a “coach” and provides feedback to the user
when they are not safely bending. The design of
suitX’s backX exosuit focuses more on reducing
stress on the back and spine.

Standing and Crouching Support

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These exosuits lock in place to reduce pressure on

knees and legs and distribute weight down to the
ground. This reduces strain on joints and muscles
when in a standing or crouching position for a period
of time.

It also gives users the option to “sit” when chairs

aren’t available or would otherwise impede safety or
productivity the work zone. This is a helpful feature
for construction workers who spend lots of time
standing during the work day.

The Chairless Chair 2.0 from Noonee introduces

improvements from their previous model including a
decrease in the product’s overall weight and
updated materials for comfort and breathability. The
legX from suitX is compatible with tool belts and

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Whole-Body Suits

Whole-body exosuits provide support throughout the

body to minimize strain, maximize productivity and
enhance strength. You can find whole-body suits
that are both mechanical and electrical, each coming
with their own sets of pros and cons as we’ve
mentioned earlier.

Sarcos is planning to eliminate problems with their

newest full-body electric suit, the Guardian XO. A
single charge can last up to eight hours and requires
only 400 watts of power (90 percent less than similar
machines) to operate while walking at a normal
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pace. Users can also “hot-swap” When
batteries You Book Online!
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Take a look at our infographic below for a summary
of the types of construction exoskeletons.

Sources: Constructible | Exoskeleton Report | HG |

Ekso Bionics | Levitate | Wired | The Robot Report |
Ford | How Stuff Works | Levitate

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