Terminators in Workshops? Robot Exoskeletons Take Car Industry by Storm

Car manufacturers such as BMW and Audi have created a new series of exoskeletons that are used by workers to reduce physical burdens and prevent serious health problems.

Automobile assembly can be tough physical work. Often, employees have to strain themselves in unnatural positions. As a consequence, many of them suffer from serious physical disorders that can lead to disabilities.

Many German automakers, including the German companies BMW and Audi, have started using innovative technologies like exoskeletons in order to make the work of car mechanics easier.

"An exoskeleton is a movement-supporting suit that a person wears on his or her body," Christian Dahmen, an exoskeleton expert with BMW, told Sputnik Germany. "Thanks to their structure, forces that normally affect the human body are diverted through the exoskeletons."

Factory worker in an exoskeleton at work

© Photo : Audi

Currently, there are two types of exoskeletons used in the automotive industry. One of them supports the shoulders and the back and is used for all kinds of work that is done at a height above the shoulder girdle.

The second type of exoskeleton supports the legs and is used by workers who spend most of the day crouching.

The innovation was very welcome among BMW's employees and received a lot of positive reviews. Polls inside the company showed that employees use exoskeletons voluntarily and with pleasure, Dahmen said.