DESIGN IDEAS


BURDEN OF ASSEMBLY TASKS Variable support exoskeleton provides support for the upper body in a variety of assembly tasks at dental lamp manufacturer in Italy


The assembly line staff at Faro, an Italian dental and laboratory equipment manufacturer, is providing workplace fatigue relief to its production staff with the Comau Mate exoskeleton, which has been designed to relieve shoulder stress for operators who often keep their arms overhead, even when not lifting weights. Operators working in the lamp assembly


line at Faro don’t have to lift heavy objects, since the complete unit only weighs about 7kg, but they do repeat the same movements hundreds of times a day. Therefore, after several hours of work, fatigue begins to take its toll on their shoulders. To bring relief to this fatigue, Faro currently


has a single exoskeleton which is used by two operators, one of whom wears it for an entire shift. According to Paolo Varisco, head of


❱❱ Variable support exoskeleton provides relief from postural fatigue for assembly line operators


operations at Faro, the exoskeleton is extremely easy to wear as well as being easy to use. Just a half-day of training is more than enough to work independently. Now, as a result of the initial trials, Faro is planning to purchase other exoskeletons in the near future. Mate stands for “muscular aiding tech


exoskeleton” and supports the operator by reducing the stress on the upper limbs when performing overhead operations. Developed in collaboration with ÖSSUR, an Icelandic orthopaedic company, and IUVO, a spin-off


TECHNOLOGY SHOULDERS THE


company of the Italian BioRobotics Institute, the Exoskeleton is fully able to replicate dynamic movements of the shoulder while enwrapping the body like a second skin. This ensures greater comfort for the worker and increases work quality and efficiency by providing consistent movement assistance during manual and repetitive tasks. According to Elena Corsi of Comau, Mate is


an exoskeleton with a completely passive mechanical structure. In fact, its main job is not helping the operator lift heavy weights but supporting the arms at an angle between 30 and 120 degrees, which is the angle formed by the arm and the upper body. In this condition, Mate transfers much of the burden away from the arms to the pelvis, near the centre of gravity. The burden is reduced by means of springs


which generate a variable torque that replicates the physiological movement of the shoulder. The springs are calibrated on seven different levels, depending on the weight and height of the worker, and on the type of operation: it will be lighter in the case of non- stop arm movements, and more intense if the operator has to keep the arms overhead for a long period of time”.


pack that fits on the handlebars. The total added weight is just 3kg and the power pack fits into the palm of your hand, hence the claim that it is the smallest and lightest in the world. It provides 250W of power-assist for up to 50 km electric range, with a top speed of around 15mph. The concept behind the Swytch Kit is to


❱❱ Electric bike conversions can be fitted to any type of bicycle regardless of the cyclists’ taste


ELECTRIC PEDAL POWER


Conversion kit can turn any bicycle into an eBike to take the strain out of commuting without emissions


Tech start up company Swytch Technology has launched what it believes to be the world’s smallest and lightest eBike conversion kit, which reflects the growing demand for electric transport alternatives.


8 /// Testing & Test Houses /// February 2020 The Swytch Kit turns any cycle into a state-


of-the-art electric bike, for a fraction of the cost of a regular eBike. It consists of a lightweight motor wheel that replaces the original front wheel, and a compact power


make transport more sustainable and accessible to everyone. Converting existing bikes to eBikes using a kit is significantly more environmentally friendly than building complete new eBikes. The company estimates the carbon footprint of building a brand new eBike is 300kg CO2e compared with just 40kg CO2e to make one of its add- on electric bike kits. According to Oliver Montague of Swytch


Technology, the kit provides the means for anyone to achieve sustainable transport that’s fun to use. So far, the company has seen people of all ages and cycling abilities subscribe to the notion of eBike technology. “We have seen older people purchasing the


kit to help them reconnect with a sport they no longer thought they could enjoy, as well as being extremely popular with commuters and your average bike fanatics,” he says


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