White Paper – The Future of Injury Prevention in Logistics
Exoskeleton – Ergonomics at work
Demographic change, rising life expectancy and a declining birth rate are increasingly leading to a shortage of skilled workers and longer working lives. Our Paexo exoskeleton series aims to offer technical solutions that help people protect their health as they perform physically demanding tasks on a daily basis.
Ottobock Paexo is based in Duderstadt, Germany and Austin / Texas, USA.
For years we were challenged with the overhead work and what to do with that in terms of providing support for team members and we really didn’t have anything until these devices [exoskeletons] came along [..]. This really offered a new avenue
Marisol Barero, Toyota North AmericaI use the shoulder exoskeleton, when facing a longer microsurgical operation with the patient in the sitting position. It is my own experience that the fatigue in the muscles (which inevitably develops over the time) influences the precision of the instrument use, which is required for successful surgery in these highly delicate and narrow operative field.
Prof. Dr. med. Veit Rohde, Universtätsmedizin Göttingen The introduction to the staff at the California Facility went really well. Everyone was fit with the device, trained how to use it. It was pretty simple instructions how to both get it positioned and secured on the body as well as how to engage the device.
Jeff Collins, Cascade
Paexo Back
Paexo Soft Back
Exoskeleton Basics Webinar
Enter the world of exoskeletons and work ergonomics and learn more about the development of exoskeletons in our introductory webinar “Exoskeletons for Industrial use cases”. We present the latest state of the art in Ottobock Paexo technology and give you the opportunity to ask questions directly.
Ottobock – a family business for 100 years
8.000
employees
1.886
patents
100
years of experience
Paexo exoskeletons are made by Ottobock, a long-established company with 100 years of expertise in the development and production of biomechanical and orthopaedic products. Since 2012, Ottobock has been researching innovative solutions to make jobs in industrials, logistics and the trade sector more ergonomic. Our goal is to provide relief for people who perform physically demanding tasks, such as overhead work, thereby creating healthier working conditions. Ottobock Industrials offers a broad range of exoskeletons and solutions for logistics, automotive and aviation assembly, maintenance and repair, painting or construction. All of our products are developed at our headquarters in Duderstadt, Germany.
Our innovative solutions, based on orthopedic expertise, are suitable for almost any industry.
Selected use cases from 1000+ successful customer projects:
Paexo exoskeletons ease vehicle assembly for VW workers
Over-head and over-shoulder work during vehicle assembly are physically very stressful. VW wants to relieve its employees with the exoskeleton Paexo…
Exoskeletons help VW workers on the assembly line
People who work on the assembly line know painful shoulders and arms very well. Volkswagen believes they have found a solution with the help of a German company.
FAQ’s
An exoskeleton is a supporting structure worn on the body that relieves strain on the musculoskeletal system during specific activities. Paexo exoskeletons do not need an energy supply; their function is purely mechanical.
The prices for the Paexo exoskeletons vary.
We will gladly make you an offer that meets your requirements. Please contact us via contact form or send us an email: industrials@ottobock.com.
The Paexo products permit full freedom of movement thanks to the biomechanical design. Thus you can sit down with the Paexo Shoulder or pick up fallen objects. Even low-lying drawers can be reached without restriction.
No, you still have to perform all movements yourself. The Paexo Shoulder exoskeleton for example merely reduces load peaks by redistributing loads. The smallest exoskeleton in the world, the Paexo Thumb, functions according to a similar mechanism. The load is diverted from the thumb joint to the wrist.
About one quarter (23.2%) of days missed because of inability to work in Germany are due to musculoskeletal disorders (data from 2013). This figure increases with age: among people older than 55, it already accounts for more than 35%. Thus the economic cost of musculoskeletal disorders is considerable (loss of gross value added: approx. EUR 20 billion, 2013 data), (see DGUV).
There is a proven, direct relationship between overhead work and musculoskeletal disorders. Physical relief provided by exoskeletons can contribute to reducing work-related health hazards, time away from work and accidents. An exoskeleton can therefore make a major contribution to preventive healthcare for employees.
We pay great attention to the sustainability of our products. An essential part of this is that all textiles can be cleaned. Most parts that can be affected by contamination are removable, washable and reusable. The technical parts can be wiped with a damp cloth. For all products there is the possibility to order hygiene sets for the exchange of textiles.
All our products are “Made in Germany” and developed in Duderstadt. The Paexo Shoulder is manufactured in Germany
There are currently six Paexo exoskeletons. The Paexo Shoulder, Paexo Back, Paexo Thumb, Paexo Neck, Paexo Soft Back and Paexo Wrist.
Paexo Shoulder for overhead work
Paexo Back for the back when handling loads.
Paexo Thumb for the thumb joint
Paexo Neck for the neck
Paexo Soft Back to provide lower back support
Paexo Wrist for the wrist