Logistics giant DB Schenker has ended a test series applying and evaluating the daily use of exoskeletons at various warehouses. The purpose of the project is to determine whether this kind of physical support provided to ground handling staff is a relief in daily working processes and is beneficial to their health.
To find this out, employees equipped with exoskeletons had to remove items weighing up to 15 kilograms each from storage shelves and stack them nearby, over a longer period of time.
According to DB Schenker, the first findings have shown encouraging results. The feedback from the participants “was very positive and has confirmed once again that the permanent use (of
exoskeletons) in combination with ergonomically designed logistics processes can be health promoting,” states Gerald Mueller, Head of Process and Efficiency Management, Schenker Deutschland
AG.
Exoskeletons are on the advance
This doesn’t surprise speaker Eric Eitel of exoskeleton producer GBS – German Bionic Systems GmbH: “These body-worn, electro-mechanical support structures are preventive and supportive tools to
protect the users’ spine and back muscles,” he explains, predicting them a great future.
Further to this Mr Eitel points out that, in spite of increasing automation and the progressive use of robots in logistics, there will always be many fields of activities where manpower is
needed, and which are not suitable for full automation.
In case the final test results prove to be convincing, DB Schenker considers including exoskeletons in daily operation at the company’s warehouses. This way, health risks caused by physical
overexertion can be minimized or totally prevented, the company states.
Provided this happens, it could be an important breakthrough for this new kind of man-machine interaction.
Worrying figures
At first sight, exoskeletons remind you of a corset needed by disabled people to walk upright and keep their balance. However, this impression is immediately corrected once a user lifts a
package, a crate of beer or other heavy items. Then the movements of the duo man-machine look very smooth.
Continued back strain is often the cause of illness and disability. This is supported by alarming statistics. According to medical surveys conducted in Germany, muscle and skeletal injuries
account for 23 percent of all sick days, leading to a production loss of estimated 10 billion euros per year and 17 billion euros in gross value added.
Data submitted by clinics located all across Europe does not look any better. Accordingly, 32 percent of European workers move heavy items during more than 25 percent of their working time.
Furthermore, 42 percent of them are also exposed to painful or tiring positions in their daily jobs.
Most valuable asset
Those mainly affected are warehouse staff working for furniture companies, at beverage distribution centers but also at freight terminals located on or in the vicinity of airports.
"Employees are our most important and valuable asset. Therefore, I am very pleased that we are once again taking a significant step towards testing better and, above all, healthier working
conditions," says Thomas Schulz, Chief Human Resources Officer CHRO of Schenker AG. "It brings us closer to our goal of being the first choice for employees as an innovative and globally leading
logistics service provider."
Heiner Siegmund
Write a comment
Dave Anderson (Friday, 23 August 2019 06:03)
My school mate Jimmy Dahlin just received an exoskeleton from the US Vet Admin that allows him to stand and walk for the first time in many years. I’m a big exoskeleton fan, but also believe people need to exercise their muscles and not just let them atrophy by overuse of the exoskeleton.
Markus (Monday, 26 August 2019 14:20)
It’s great to hear how an exoskeleton has helped your friend to stand and walk again! I’d like to pick up on your comment about the risk of muscles withering away due to an overuse of exoskeletons. I expect that this is a greater issue in a rehabilitation / therapeutic context. In the context of the industrial use of exoskeletons, as is the case in the article, exoskeletons are specifically used to prevent strain and injury – which includes avoiding muscle atrophy. This entails not letting the exoskeleton take over the load being lifted entirely. Rather, the exoskeleton augments or strengthens the wearer’s own movements. The wearer still needs to exert force and therefore must actively use his or her muscles to lift and carry. It merely reduces the exertion required for lifting. As far as I know, the amount of support assistance provided by the exoskeleton can also typically be adjusted to suit the user preference and/or the load needing to be lifted. I think this is the case for all industrial exoskeletons currently on the market, and certainly so for the Cray X from German Bionic Systems, which is shown in the article.