This is our most popular episode yet! In Episode 26, we’re joined by Dr. Karl Zelik, a biomechanical engineer and Vanderbilt University professor whose work sits right at the intersection of research, real-world deployment, and industry translation. Karl is also Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at HeroWear, an industrial exosuit company, and a board member of the American Bionics Project, giving him a rare “full-stack” view of how wearable robotics has evolved from early lab prototypes to products and programs used in the field. In this conversation, Karl draws on that cross-sector perspective to unpack what’s truly changed in exoskeletons over the last decade: what progress is real, what misconceptions are finally fading, and what still needs to happen next.

Video Format:

Chapters: 00:00 Intro + Dr. Karl Zelik joins the show 01:13 Episode framing: how exoskeleton wearables changed over the last decade 04:52 Karl’s background: academia + commercialization (“wearing many hats”) 20:28 Myths, hype, and misconceptions: what’s improved (and what still lingers) 24:29 The evidence gap: long-term/longitudinal injury impact data in workplace exos 29:49 Why many real-world “success stories” don’t make it into the public domain 34:52 The “Applications Vault” idea: organizing exos by use-case / jobs-to-be-done 54:58 Making it real: how to operationalize use-cases and define success in practice 1:14:54 Regional differences: what’s driving adoption in Asia vs elsewhere 1:29:58 Recreational/consumer exos: what could be real value vs what to be cautious about.

For more, see: HeroWear: https://herowearexo.com/

Audio Format:

Remember to like and subscribe! You can find a summary of the full transcript and hints on how you can support this effort on the Exoskeleton Report website.