Wander the Modex floor far enough and you’ll stumble upon some portable robotics. The category has almost no presence of AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) or storage and retrieval systems, but exosuits are growing in acceptance for their ability to eliminate the repetitive stress that comes with lifting and moving heavy loads all day.
While I’ve written about a number of these companies over the years, my actual first-hand experience is limited. Of course, I jumped at the chance to take advantage Verve MotionExosit SafeLift for rotation. The form factor is more like a backpack that houses the battery and electronics.
You wear it over your shoulders and then fasten yourself in with a pair of chest straps. Another pair of soft straps are then stretched around your thighs and Velcroed into place. It’s a little uncomfortable, though most use cases don’t involve wearing the system over business casual dress in the middle of a busy convention center (I’m guessing). The system weighs a total of 6.5 pounds and is designed to accommodate users standing 5’0” to 6’6”. It is quite comfortable.
The Modex demo is simple. First you lift a large, orange, pelican-style case weighing 30kg. Then you do it again with the help up. As someone in the throes of degenerative disc disease, I clearly deserve some sort of journalism award for this morning’s demo.
Image Credits: Verve Motion
The thigh straps are connected by a pair of soft fabric cables that gather inside the backpack with a small pinch. This utility trailer takes the strain off your hands. Likewise, the system offers resistance as you lean, slowing you down as you lower the payload.
Verve Motion sells the SafeLift as part of a larger system that features a wall of lockers/holes used to store and charge wetsuits. You can also charge the batteries separately and change them throughout the day.
When we spoke with the Cambridge, Mass., startup last year on the occasion of a $20 million raise, co-founder and CEO Ignacio Galiana told TechCrunch that Verve had sold more than 1,000 suits to date.
