Tech Talk: Wearable Robot for Industrial Workers
Front view of SARTEXO Inc.'s Bionic Suit, built into various types of industrial workwear and a military uniform. Image courtesy KIMM
Cheol Hoon Park (far right), CEO of SARTEXO Inc., with researchers from KIMM’s Advanced Robotics Research Center. Image courtesy KIMM
Side view of Cheol Hoon Park, CEO of SARTEXO Inc., wearing the Bionic Suit, a clothing-type wearable robot powered by Fabric Muscle. Image courtesy KIMM
A South Korean robotics company is commercializing a lightweight wearable robot designed to reduce physical strain on workers performing repetitive lifting and other demanding tasks, with potential applications in shipbuilding, manufacturing, construction and logistics.
SARTEXO, a spin-off of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), has introduced its Bionic Suit, a third-generation wearable robotic system that uses electrically activated artificial muscles embedded in fabric rather than conventional motors and rigid mechanical frames.
The technology, called Fabric Muscle, was developed through research led by SARTEXO CEO Cheol Hoon Park at KIMM beginning in 2012.
The system incorporates shape memory alloy (SMA) wires thinner than human hair, formed into spring-like yarn and woven into fabric. When electrical current is applied, the material contracts, generating pulling force that assists the wearer's movements. When the current stops and the material cools, it relaxes.
According to KIMM, just 10 grams of Fabric Muscle can lift between 10 and 15 kg, approximately 1,500 times its own weight.
The company's Bionic Suit Waist, designed to support the lower back, weighs 1.3 kg including its battery and controller. A full-body version, supporting the lower back, shoulders and elbows simultaneously, weighs no more than 1.8 kg.
Testing during repetitive lifting tasks demonstrated reductions in lower-back muscle activity exceeding 40%, according to the developer.
Unlike conventional industrial exoskeletons, the fabric-based system can be worn over existing workwear or integrated directly into uniforms. It is also designed for washing and storage.
A Fabric Muscle actuator woven from SMA coiled yarn. Image courtesy KIMM
