Innovation from California
We are the innovative R&D unit from Ottobock Bionic Exoskeletons. For over ten years, we have been developing wearable technologies that make people’s lives easier. The focus of our development is on the human-centered.
Human machine interface
Our developments are based on decades of experience in the development of occupational and medical exoskeletons. The Innovation Hub is led by Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni and the founders of SuitX.
SuitX from Zero to Exoskeleton
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Revolutionary ideas
Founded in 2011, SuitX was spun out of the University of California, Berkeley’s Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. The suitX founding team consists of Minerva Pillai, Ph.D., Wayne Tung, Ph.D., Michael McKinley, Ph.D., and Logan Van Englehoven, Ph.D., led by Berkeley Professor Dr. Hoyamoon Kazerooni. Ottobock’s acquisition of SuitX has transformed the flagship startup into an innovation hub for exoskeletons.
Minerva Pillai, Ph.D
„Exoskeletons are a fairly new technology, they can reduce the effort our muscles need to put into performing tasks.“
Logan Van Englehoven, Ph.D.
„We try to properly educate workers and management about the purpose of exoskeletons and the best use cases for these technologies.“
Michael McKinley, Ph.D
„SuitX and Ottobock exoskeletons were specifically designed to address musculoskeletal disorders observed in the workplace.“
Wayne Tung, Ph.D.
„Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are often caused by overexertion, repetitive movements, or awkward body postures.“
Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni
SuitX founder and former CEO Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni, professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
When performing various tasks such as lifting our arms, stooping, or squatting, we use our muscles to hold our bodies in those postures. These muscles typically work across bones in a way where the force in the muscle will create a force between your bones. The forces on your bones in sensitive regions such as your L5 S1 vertebra, the shoulder complex, or your knee joint are common causes of why people get injured or are in pain. This is how exoskeletons can help. Exoskeletons can reduce the effort our muscles need to put into performing tasks. When designed correctly, this muscle force reduction will proportionally reduce the forces on the bones that these muscles go across.
Exoskeletons are a fairly new technology, and people’s expectations of the exoskeleton aren’t quite right. Either they think it’s for injured or hurt people, or they think it will make you Iron Man. This expectation and reality mismatch makes introducing exoskeletons into the workforce a very nuanced process. Exoskeleton rollout typically fails if this process isn’t adhered to and all the upcoming pitfalls proactively addressed.
I perceive my job as figuring out what it will take to make this technology ubiquitous. While there are many challenges associated with this, the big one I’m currently interested in addressing is what it will take to get people to want to wear an exoskeleton. How can we make the most comfortable exoskeleton? How can we make the exoskeleton easy to use? Can the exoskeleton do something or have a feature that can address a pain point that people have today and not just the pain point in the future?
SuitX Exoskeletons
Besides countless prototypes, a handful of exoskeletons have been developed to be market-ready. The following is an overview of the most essential exoskeletons from SuitX from the last 10 years of evolution.
backX
backX has shown the ability to reduce the strain on a wearer’s lower back (L5/S1 disc) by an average of 60% while stooping, lifting objects, bending or reaching. Decreasing strain in the muscles of the lower back can reduce the compression force around the L5-S1 vertebra lowering the risk of back injuries and increasing user endurance.
The latest exoskeleton version is now part of the Ottobock exoskeleton portfolio for the back.
PHOENIX
The world’s lightest and most advanced exoskeleton designed to help people with mobility disorders to be upright and mobile. In the clinic, at home, and in the workplace the FDA approved Phoenix has successfully enabled many individuals to stand up, walk about, and speak to peers eye-to-eye. Phoenix has only two actuators at its hip; the knee joints are designed to allow support during stance and ground clearance during swing.
ShoulderX – Dynamic Shoulder Support
ShoulderX is designed to protect a user’s shoulder. ShoulderX enables one to perform chest to ceiling level tasks for longer durations or with less effort. The device supports the user’s shoulder joint by transferring the load of the user’s raised arm and tool, past the shoulder complex, directly to the wearer’s hips. This exoskeleton incorporates novel features based on the feedback obtained from numerous field evaluations across the globe.
LegX – Relief for the Knee and Fatigue
A revolutionary exoskeleton that supports the user’s knees, allowing them to squat repeatedly or for prolonged periods of time with ease. Research has shown that it can reduce muscle strain in the quadriceps around the knee joint while squatting. The legX offers two distinct functions: Smart Mode and Locking Mode, which can be used independently or in combination. In the Smart Mode, the system gets out of the way while walking or going up and down stairs. In the Locking Mode, the exoskeleton can be used like a chair that can be adjusted to multiple heights.
How can we make more people use exoskeletons?
I perceive my job as figuring out what it will take to make this technology ubiquitous. While there are many challenges associated with this, the big one I’m currently interested in addressing is what it will take to get people to want to wear an exoskeleton. How can we make the most comfortable exoskeleton? How can we make the exoskeleton easy to use? Can the exoskeleton do something or have a feature that can address a pain point that people have today and not just the pain point in the future?
Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni | Chief Scientist at Ottobock Exoskeletons
Studies on SuitX Exoskeletons
Beneath you will find excerpts from studies in which SuitX exoskeletons were the focus. In addition, there are over 200 studies worldwide with positive results on the effect of exoskeletons.
Significantly Reduces Back Muscle Forces
This study by researchers at U.C. Berkeley and U.C. San Francisco showed an average 60% reduction in EMG muscle activities at four of the most injury-prone lower back muscle groups.
Electrodes were placed over four erector spinae muscle groups on each of eight test subjects who were tested both while wearing and not wearing the backX.
The chart shows the substantial decrease in four muscle groups’ activation while subjects were wearing the BackX.
TSE, in this figure, stands for Trunk Support Exoskeleton; an original technical name for BackX.
Outcomes of a Multicenter Safety and Efficacy Study of the SuitX Phoenix Powered Exoskeleton for Ambulation by Patients With Spinal Cord Injury
To examine the safety and efficacy of ambulation utilizing a semi-passive and lightweight powered exoskeleton by spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Methods: This is a multi-center, open-label, prospective cohort study across three facilities. A cohort of 40 individuals with SCI from T4-L5 was recruited into a 20-session training and assessment protocol, utilizing the SuitX Phoenix. All patients were tested using a 10-m-walk test (10 MWT), 6-min-walk test (6 MWT), and Timed up & Go test (TUG). Patient satisfaction, pain, exertion, changes in affect, as well as overall comfort and confidence were reported using a satisfaction survey, Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Safety outcomes, adverse events, and device malfunctions were reported. Results: Forty participants completed the study. There were no serious adverse events. All participants reported moderate to high levels of comfort and confidence using the device. All patients were able to achieve FIM of >4 on transitional movements and walking. The neurological level of injury had a statistically significant association with walking speed, WISCI-II, and FIM. Participants with an incomplete spinal cord injury had a higher FIM, faster speed, and higher WISCI-II in all outcome measures. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the safety and efficacy of SuitX Phoenix for ambulation by SCI patients. We have shown that Phoenix is efficacious in allowing adults with SCI T4 to L5 perform walking and transitional movements. This study also reports the safety-profile of the device, user satisfaction, and psychological trends during training.
