This article was originally published on the Exoskeleton Report.
In the first episode of Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics, Prof. Thomas “Tom” Sugar and I explored what an exoskeleton is and isn’t. Now, in episode 2, we examine the types and categorizations of exoskeleton devices, not so much as an academic exercise but as a practical tool to simplify this emerging technology. After all, if you were in the market for a car, you would already know if you are looking for a truck, an SUV, a sports coup, or a sedan, or at a minimum, you would be aware that motor vehicles come in different categories and flavors. Episode 2 of Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics aims to do just that: an easy-to- listen to in the background deep-dive into the world of types and categories of exosuits and the like.
Transcript:
Tom: Good afternoon Bobby. This is Tom Sugar from the Wearable Robotics Association, and Bobby, let’s talk about your exoskeleton catalog. Could you tell me a little bit firstly about your your web page and then a little bit about the catalog and then we’ll dive in.
Bobby: Yeah, absolutely! Hi Tom, so the the idea for the Exoskeleton Reports Catalog is that it can be tricky to categorize and visualize what are all the different types of exos. So why not have a bird’s eye view where using filters and categories you can just click on it and you can immediately see what is it that we are talking about and the idea came from a PowerPoint presentation that you made about 10 years ago where you put together as many exoskeletons as possible on 12 slides and you started doing the categorization for it (sample below):
After that, IISART (International Industry Society in Advanced Rehabilitation Technology, link: iisart.org) did a medical robotics catalog, which took it a little bit further and had filters [sadly, it is no longer online]. And over time this [ExR catalog] has been maintained with your help and help from others like Cost Action 16116 [Dr. Jan Veneman] that was around.
Tom: So I want to emphasize to people that we have over 200 exoskeletons in this catalog, and these are exoskeletons that have been commercialized.
Bobby: So you won’t is this correct you won’t see academic exoskeletons in this catalog it’s just ones that are actually out there on the marketplace, right this is only devices that are out there on the market or are already close to being there on the market there are no one-of research and development prototypes so try to weed them out out as much as possible and also there’s more than 50 devices which are now long no longer on sale and they have been retired and they have been removed from the catalog so if anyone needs to see those they’ll have to contact me or you and ask for a view permission for those.
So first off you can filter exoskeletons by where and this was kind of how I was categorizing them 10 years ago we could think about exoskeletons that are in the industrial marketplace or occupational exoskeletons we can think about exoskeletons in the medical field we can think about exoskeletons in the military field or we can think about exoskeletons that are in the commercial field I try to model the car industry as much as possible so the the face thing is like application which is who’s going to be using this exoskeleton but I think that is a whole another separate discussion on where we see exos are being applied right now.
We can think about exoskeletons and whether there are they they are passive they and we talked about this before some exoskeletons have passive actuation some exoskeletons have powered actuation some exoskeletons are quasi passive where you’re turning them using some motors to turn springs. Some exoskeletons are fixed to the you know a fixed frame they’re fixed to the wall, some exoskeletons are tethered. Similar I think to like how now we have electrical vehicles and we have internal combustion and we have gas vehicles it may or may not necessarily make a difference to the end user but it’s easier to visualize what’s out there by being able to break it down so a very popular way to break it down down is if is by these categories: if it’s powered passive, if can move around or it’s a device where you moving in it but it stays in one place or if it’s some sort of a hybrid system that has elements of both then next you could filter exoskeletons based where they’re located on the body and so you can think about back, ankle, elbow, hand, hip, knee, shoulder, waist, and so on. I think that’s you know obvious.
If you’re interested let’s say in a back exoskeleton you might want to click lower back and waist for example. If you’re looking for solution that covers multiple body parts you can even click on them simultaneously so like a lower body exoskeleton that completely takes the weight off would be like either a hip ankle or even a hip knee ankle depending on which joints are actuated okay so you can we can click on multiple of these. We can click on hip ankle ankle and knee so we can literally say I’m interested in an exoskeleton that focuses on the hip the knee and the ankle and then we’ve limit instead of having 203 exoskeletons to look at we’ve we now we can look at 18 exoskeletons yes and you can either further reduce it down if you’re looking for one that has active motor so one that is passive and relies on elastic elements. I would like to think about a passive system that’s relying on exoskeletons that helps with the hip knee ankle so I can click on passive and now I’m going to get six devices so you’ve got six and that way it makes it easier rather than being overwhelmed by 200 different systems. You can start to narrow it down, filtering it, and really being able to differentiate and see what’s on the market so the idea is to have both the birds-eye view that this is not just one or two companies out there that are making exoskeletons it’s an entire marketplace it’s an entire industry at this point then also have the ability to filter reduce the and then be able to do more focus searches right when you’re done with that you can just go down and hit the clear right so if I’m done with that I can hit the clear button and I’ll go back to the original 203 results.
Filtering by Application:
Lastly I think we didn’t see this yet is we could filter this by application whether it’s personal use pick and carry, rehabilitation, research, sports, pediatric, injury prevention,fitness, energy harvesting, chairless chair, back support system.
Tom: Augmentation systems and assist systems so we had one last filter why no what was your thinking in this category Bobby?
Bobby: … These devices are useless unless they do something useful for the users so I think it was important to start being able to categorize what is the intended [use]. So initially, we have the intended market: medical, military, occupational, and recreational, but then we can further drill down. So the the very first two are a good example of it assisted versus augmentation. So the way that I visualize that and the way the catalog is divided is you have exos medical exokeletons which can be ones where they are a part of a physical rehabilitation program and you’re expecting the person using it to get better and better over time the exoskeleton is as much a tool for the user as much for the operator who cause help with mobilization, and we will go further down into applications of exos is exactly what we mean by that so that will be an assist with mobilization, initial physical rehabilitation. An augmentation one would be one where we expect that the exoskeleton will stay with the user for a long time that we we’re not expecting that the body part that it’s being assisted, and again here the terminology kind of overlaps, we are not expecting that the that the user will stop using the exo and that it’s going to stay with them.
Example of using category filters using the Exoskeleton Catalog:
You could pick something like back support exoskeletons that are helping the [lower] back…
Tom: So let me clear and make sure that’s all cleared, so let’s pick something. Let’s say I’m going to pick something, let’s say we want industrial or logistics or occupational type exoskeletons, and I want passive, and I’m really interested in back support actually so I’m going to pick back support then I should have 39 I’ve got 39 commercial exoskeletons that are helping in the industrial or occupational marketplace they’re passive systems and they’re helping out with back support right and if you click on the picture or the name of the device you will get more information on it and you can click within the different categories if you click either on the picture or the name.
Using the tags:
… there’s tags so this is the tag that it’s a backport it’s made by a certain company it helps do injury prevention and it’s a passive syste. You can click on that which will pull you away into a slightly more primative view which now uses only one filter at a time rather than the multi filter system. You can click on either the tag or the category. You will just get all the exoskeletons that have that tag that have… The important thing to think here is that none of this is official this is simply meant and designed to help people first see that it’s an entire field and an entire industry of exo devices we’re talking already retired products so this is not an industry that is a baby field, that is only one or two years old. We now have decades of exoskeleton devices and wearable robotics that are helping people; are making a difference in the real world. There’s different ways to categorize them just because the Exoskeleton Report uses this categorization system that is by far absolutely not the only way to do it and it’s only meant to provide a service to to make it easier to absorb all of this information just like when you look at cars you separate mentally if you’re looking at a truck if you’re looking at a sedan or if you’re looking at a sport coupe. You’re not trying to look at all everything all at once you divide and conquer..
Different organizations also have different ways of doing it. Recently the Italians have had a standard on exoskeletons where they have a different category, which is [based on] how closely the exo follows the contours of the body and how closely the joints of the device match the the joints of the user. I personally don’t like using that approach because I think that’s it’s difficult to differentiate between how closely you are following the morphology of the human body and then also you have differences from person to person. You have a 6’5″ marine and someone significantly smaller, like 5’5″ or 5’10”. The relative morphology to the exoskeleton will change accordingly.
Tom: But I want to get back to something you said—this service is incredibly valuable for the global exoskeleton community. It provides a current picture of the marketplace, showing over 200 exoskeletons available. This isn’t just a brand new, unknown technology. We’re demonstrating its widespread use and development. Could you elaborate on why you think this is such a valuable service?
Bobby: Absolutely. The value lies in showcasing the global progress of exoskeleton technology, not just to producers but to end-users. We’re helping to inform and educate about the possibilities of this technology, showing that it’s beyond just sci-fi concepts like Iron Man. Real, practical devices are being used worldwide. This catalog is about inviting people to invest, participate, and develop in this field.
Tom: Your point about building a physical revolution is inspiring.
Bobby: Physical devices haven’t evolved much for centuries, like the 200-year-old bicycle or the 3,000-year-old wheelchair. We now have gadgets that can beep and vibrate, but the basic need remains—people need to get from point A to point B. Whether you’re elderly or an employee cleaning a nuclear reactor, the work needs to get done. This technology is about supporting human activity in all its forms, and to do that, we need investment, regulation, and awareness.
It’s important for everyone to know that this technology exists beyond the fantasy of Iron Man. There are real, practical devices already being used around the world. This catalog shows that this is a real field, with solutions divided into types and categories. It’s an invitation to join us in this journey—invest, participate, use, develop. This field is only going to grow.
Tom: And thank you for your efforts in building this industry. Your work is invaluable in showing what’s possible, especially for those who may benefit from medical exoskeletons that assist with mobility. Devices like the Wondercraft, seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics, are crucial. For elderly people, maintaining muscle mass is essential, and these systems can make a huge difference.
Bobby: Yes, the goal is to design systems that help people in the physical world, contributing to a physical revolution. This is hard work, but it’s important. We’re also focusing on categorization to make things easier for consumers, who shouldn’t need a bioengineering degree to choose the right device.
Tom: Speaking of categorization, let’s talk about passive exoskeletons for the lower back. These use elastic elements charged when a person bends forward, making them lighter and often more affordable than powered versions. However, powered exoskeletons can provide instantaneous torque or force, which can be locked in place for support.
Bobby: Both passive and powered systems have their strengths. Passive systems use human energy to provide support, while powered systems can offer more dynamic assistance. It’s about different pathways to the same goal—reducing fatigue and preventing injury. It’s exciting to see the variety of devices being developed, like hybrid exoskeletons that combine passive and powered elements. These innovations are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible…
Tom: Thank you, Bobby, for your insights. This catalog is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the field. It’s not set in stone—if anyone has suggestions, they can reach out. We look forward to exploring more topics in future episodes.