Wearing your computer at work — from exoskeletons to AR

Over the last 50 years, the evolution of computing technology has been swift. Giant mainframes turned into desktops, then laptops took over, and finally handheld devices such as smartphones spread throughout the world. The next phase of this evolution has already started:
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are among the first widespread gadgets representing the wearable technology trend. This trend will assist us in our daily lives – and our work – without the need to use our hands and punch buttons.

Researchers are working on many different forms of wearable computing, including the integration of electronic components directly into the fabric of textiles. This includes two approaches which are currently leading the way into the workplace: exoskeletons and augmented reality (AR). Both have the potential to change the nature of work significantly, especially in industrial settings, but also in other areas such as healthcare.

Even though we have not yet arrived at the level of Marvel’s Iron Man superhero exoskeleton, technology has come a long way since it first emerged in the 1960s. Back then, General Electric (GE) set out to build the first electrified human exoskeleton: the Hardiman. Funded by the U.S. military, the system enabled the wearer to lift up to 1,500 lbs.

The experiment was short-lived, however, since the suit itself weighed 1,500 lbs and included 28 joints as well as two grasping arms connected by a complex hydraulic and electronic network, according to GE. Besides critical power supply issues, its size and weight made the Hardiman highly impractical and prevented it from going past the prototype stage.

This experience changed the thinking about exoskeletons. Even though it seems enticing to develop devices that provide workers with superhuman strength, practicality has thwarted these attempts. In order to avoid the "Hardiman effect," companies are instead focusing on lightweight, non-invasive applications that support natural human motion.

At Ford, for example, some assembly-line workers lift their arms an average of 4,600 times per day, or about 1 million times per year, increasing the possibility of fatigue or injury. In a move to reduce the strain on their employees’ bodies, the car maker partnered with Ekso Bionics, a company specialising in unpowered exoskeletons. Their vest relies on counterweights, a carbon-fibre harness and metal-tube frame running down a user’s legs. It can transfer the weight of a handheld tool all the way to the floor. Heavy machines can therefore feel almost weightless, relieving the strain on arms, shoulders and legs.

As a result, if an exoskeleton vest can help workers with heavy lifting, it may also potentially alleviate the occurrence of workplace-related injuries and thereby reduce healthcare and insurance costs for companies.

Watch the Ekso Vest in action.

Even though batteries are still an issue, electric motors have become lighter and more compact since Hardiman’s days. Equipped with small engines, an exoskeleton can amplify and focus a person's natural power output. This type of application has been especially successful in healthcare. Japanese robotics company Cyberdyne, for example, developed the HAL system (Hybrid Assistive Limb), a “cyborg-type” full-body exoskeleton which can help disabled people to move their arms, legs and torso simply by thinking about which body part they want to move.

HAL’s sensors can detect bioelectric signals that are emitted from the brain and manifest them on a person’s skin. Based on these signals, the exoskeleton is not only able to move the wearers’ limbs, but it also learns and improves itself with each human-machine interaction.

Another use of exoskeletons is robot control. Robots are still terrible at performing delicate tasks in unfamiliar environments, for example turning a key or loosening a screw. An engineer wearing an exoskeleton can perform the motion, which is simultaneously repeated by the robot arm. This application is highly useful in dangerous situations such as fires, bomb threats, or maintenance work on offshore facilities, as humans can control the robot from a safe distance.

Another frontier in wearable technology is augmented reality (AR), which makes it possible to combine visualised data or graphics with real-world environments. This can be particularly useful in fields that involve detailed technical work. One such example: technicians wearing AR goggles while working on a wind-turbine control box so that they can see “exactly where each wire goes in their field of view”, writes Deloitte. This type of AR integration can lead to more precise execution, a reduction in human error, and the improvement of workplace safety.

Among the leaders in this field is the German company Ubimax, which has developed AR solutions for the automotive and aerospace industries, among others. For Airbus Helicopters Inc. in Dallas (U.S.) it implemented a system that speeds up the documentation of inspection processes, a safety-critical task that involves taking pictures, uploading images and adding information to the company’s IT system. Technicians are now wearing smart glasses with a powerful camera and voice activation for this job. According to Airbus, the technology reduces the time spent on the task by about 40 per cent.

However, according to Forrester Research’s latest report on AR in manufacturing (HDI newsletter subscribers can download it here for free), expectations shouldn’t be raised too high just yet. “There’s a disconnect between the hype around flashy immersive environments and the pragmatic reality of training and remote assistance use cases”, the report says. Not everything that has a lot of potential in theory will also find its way into the real world.

The same concerns face exoskeletons as well. Even though they’re being used in manufacturing at an increasing rate, they are still relatively expensive and tend to be intrusive and impractical.

As these technologies evolve and companies push forward in implementing them, the speed of progress will increase, maybe even enabling fully powered exoskeletons with integrated AR goggles.

In any case, the market potential is already staggering, as global exoskeleton revenues are estimated to reach USD 5.8 billion by 2028, and the global AR and VR market may reach USD 94.4 billion by 2023. Wearable computing is here to stay.