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The Ottobock Group, based in Duderstadt, Germany, offers innovative products in the field of prostheses, orthoses, wheelchairs and mobility for neurological diseases, has just acquired all shares in SuitX, a spin-off of the University of California’s Robiotics and Human Engineering Lab, to advance exoskeleton research and development. The U.S.-based company is small, with 30 employees, but specializes in exoskeletons for medical and occupational needs.

The cooperation between the two companies is important to further expand the market of exoskeletons, because in the health sector, as well as in professional and recreational environments, exoskeletons will be increasingly used to relieve the human body in various activities.

In the medical sector, the goal is to give people with handicaps back their mobility and protect preserved functions. In the work-related sector, many employees are absent from work with work-related injuries, such as musculoskeletal disorders, which cause a lot of costs to the employer and healthcare systems. For this reason, employees often wear exoskeletons to assist with lifting and carrying. Experts estimate that the market for exoskeletons at work could expand many times over by 2025. To protect employees and increase productivity, many companies are creating exoskeletons. Applications include shoulders/neck, back, hands/arms and also legs in the automotive industry, manufacturing and maintenance, and also in the logistics industry.

Ottobock manufactures exoskeleton systems from the Paexo product family, and could thus innovatively develop the Bionic Exoskeletons business unit with products from SuitX, as the small U.S. company is also afflicted with expertise, especially in the medical field. Phoenix, a super-lightweight and FDA-approved exoskeleton helps people with handicaps, for example after spinal cord injuries, to stay mobile and walk upright.

The previous founder and CEO of SuitX, Professor Dr. Homayoon Kazerooni, will become chief scientific officer at Ottobock, thus retaining his experience to the new corporate structure.

Source: www.kma-online.de