Exosuits increase both Productivity and Well-Being
HeroWear, a manufacturer specializing in soft, textile based exoskeletons called exosuits, partnered with an international grocery retailer to collect the research that found wearing an exoskeleton can increase productivity by 8%, and presented its findings in a new case study.
In addition to the productivity increases, additional key findings include:
- Workers reported a 30% reduction in work-related lower back discomfort
- Workers said the effort required to do their job was reduced by 39% while wearing the exosuit
- 81% of workers expressed willingness to continue using the exosuits after the study was complete
“Our case study demonstrates that HeroWear exosuit technology not only reduces injury risk, but also drives productivity,” said Mark Harris, CEO and Co-Founder of HeroWear. “We are enthusiastic that our commitment to improving workers’ quality of life can also provide tangible financial benefits to the companies they work for.”
The study was conducted over a nine-week span with 40 employees, each fitted and trained on the HeroWear Apex 2 exosuit. Productivity was measured by cases picked per hour and tracked over one month. Nearly all employees who completed the study experienced an increase in productivity compared to their baseline and most reported feeling less fatigued.
HeroWear has also developed an online tool used to calculate the Apex 2 exosuit’s return on investment. The calculator factors in many elements, including expected reductions in injury rates, improvements in productivity, and improvements in recruiting and retention.
In the case of warehouse workers like those in this study, an 8% improvement in productivity could allow the exosuit solution to pay for itself in less than 5 months, and reduce costs by $3,900 per worker per year in the first year of use.
“Our mission has always been to improve worker well-being, on and off the job, by reducing musculoskeletal injury risks and fatigue. These industry findings go a step further by demonstrating how exosuits can benefit both worker safety and operational performance. This aligns with emerging academic research indicating it’s possible to have the best of both worlds with exosuits: risk reduction and performance enhancement,” said Chief Scientific Officer Karl Zelik.
