Skip to main content

Robotic exoskeletons help Ford employees build cars worldwide

Ford assembly line workers have a new exoskeleton vest that helps with lifting and holding car parts overhead. The EksoVest wearable reduces wear and tear on employee’s bodies, Ford Motor Company announced.

After testing in two Michigan vehicle assembly plants, employees in 15 Ford factories in seven countries are now wearing the exoskeleton vests to reduce fatigue and injury.

Developed in partnership with Ekso Bionics, Ford’s new wearable lifts and supports assembly workers’ arms while the employees reach up to perform tasks with power tools. A typical task for an EksoVest-wearing worker would be securing a car’s brace by screwing in bolts while the vehicle is overhead.

More on robotic exosuits

“Building vehicles is physically a tough job,” said Bruce Hettle, Ford group vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “We care about our employees and are trying to help them do their jobs with the least amount of wear and tear on their bodies possible.”

The exoskeleton vest helps lift and support from five to 15 pounds per arm and can be worn by workers who range from 5-foot 2-inches to 6-foot 4-inches tall.

According to Ford, vest-wearing workers during testing at the company’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, and Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, provided helpful feedback. The employee input was used to refine the EksoVest before the worldwide rollout.

Assembly line workers at the test locations reported that the lightweight vests were comfortable and did not restrict movement.

Nick Gotts, an employee who was part of the Flat Rock Assembly Plant test group, expressed his enthusiasm for the robotic technology.

“I don’t want the EksoVest to ever leave,” Gotts said. “Any job that’s overhead, I wouldn’t work without it.”

Ford’s press release announcing EksoVest global deployment underscored the automaker’s continuing focus on technology that can keep the assembly lines rolling by reducing employee fatigue, injury, and discomfort. “Since 2005, incidents in Ford’s global facilities that resulted in lost time fell 75 percent; the 2018 incident rate was one of the lowest on record.”

Ekso Bionics views the robotic wearable’s global rollout as a “major step forward” in enhancing workforce well-being  “At Ekso, our mission is to augment human capability with wearable technology and robotics that help people rethink current physical limitations and achieve the remarkable,” said Ekso Bionics president and CEO Jack Peurach.

Editors' Recommendations

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Rehab robot exoskeleton helps stroke patients with physical therapy
Harmony SHR 1

Over the past few years, robot exosuit technology that’s capable of augmenting human movement with high-tech components has gone from a sci-fi dream to tech reality. Many of these wearable robots focus on augmenting the strength of their users for applications like lifting heavy objects in factories. However, an upper body robot exosuit developed by researchers at Austin, Texas-based Harmonic Bionics takes a different tack.

Designed to be used for both arms in a seated position, Harmony SHR is a rehab robot exosuit intended to be utilized as part of physical therapy for stroke patients or those with some other injury that limits mobility. It features two articulated arms that support the weight of the user's arms, and move them through preprogrammed exercises that can be customized for each user. It can also function in a mode in which the robot assists just one arm, which follows the patient-driven movement of the opposite arm.

Read more
Ford releases self-driving car data to encourage further research
ford releases self driving car data to researchers

Ford's self-driving car program is experiencing delays, but the automaker hopes that others will pick up the baton. Ford is releasing what it calls a "comprehensive self-driving vehicle dataset" to researchers. The goal is to promote further research and development of autonomous driving tech, Tony Lockwood, Ford autonomous vehicle manager, said in a blog post.

The package comprises data from multiple test vehicles operating in Detroit, collected over a one-year span, Lockwood said. The testing that generated this data was separate from work Ford is doing with Argo A.I. to develop a production-ready autonomous driving system, Lockwood noted.

Read more
Ford can use your voice to make your car’s wheels theftproof
ford can use your voice to make cars wheels theft proof wheel

Ford is developing an interesting new process that should reduce the chance of you finding your car perched on a set of bricks with all of its wheels missing.

The American automaker says that overall improvements in vehicle security have prompted thieves to target car parts instead. Including those valuable alloy wheels. It says that while locking wheel nuts can offer some protection, they’re not invulnerable. With that in mind, it’s created a unique, 3D-printed locking wheel nut that features contours based on the driver’s voice.

Read more