Manual labor is hard work, no doubt about it. However, technology could very well help us humans out when it comes to heavy lifting, and here we are with a conceptual exoskeleton that is being developed so that humans need not hurt their fragile backs any more by accident whenever they handle heavy weights. These efforts to turn concept into reality for an exoskeleton in the workplace are currently undergoing, with the EU propping up the project with the relevant funds.
So far, a dozen research institutions from a total of seven European countries happen to be involved in the Robo-mate project. The team members hope to eventually test a robotic suit which is simple enough to be worn by factory employees, and they have given themselves a time span of three years to get the job done. Should the Robo-mate exoskeleton actually take off successfully, it might help lower the number of work-related injuries eventually, although an expert did fire a warning to employers that they are the ones who would need convincing that such equipment will not eventually come up with pose safety issues of its own. So far, we do know that the EU has committed 4 million Euros to the scheme.
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