According to ReWalk Robotics, the device’s manufacturer, the ReWalk Personal is the only powered exoskeleton with U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance. A rehabilitation version is also FDA approved.In September 2013, Yaskawa announced its investment in Argo Medical Technologies, now ReWalk Robotics. DeRosett says there are parallels between exoskeletons and where production robots could be going in the near future.
“I think technology is moving in that direction, providing exoskeletons that can assist people in manufacturing or production environments to lift and move payloads that are not ergonomically practical today,” he says. “That could also translate into warehousing, supply chain and distribution environments.”
In fact, a recent report is projecting more than 70 percent growth for exoskeletons in the medical, military and industrial markets through 2019.
“Our core is all about motion and control,” says DeRosett, referring to Yaskawa’s expertise in servo motors and controllers. “That’s really much of the technology that’s needed in these types of devices.”
“There’s been a lot of discussion around collaborative robots, and humans and robots working together,” adds DeRosett. “You can’t get anymore collaborative than an exoskeleton.”
Robotic exoskeletons, especially those expected to populate factory floors and warehouses, blur the distinctions between industrial, collaborative and service robots, a rapidly emerging phenomenon we explored in RIA’s latest forecast article, Robotics 2015 and Beyond: Collaboration, Connectivity, Convergence.
Source: http://www.robotics.org/content-detail.cfm/Industrial-Robotics-Industry-Insights/One-and-Only-Automation-Showcase-for-Robotics-Vision-and-Motion-Control/content_id/5251
