Turin-based Comau (www.comau.com), a global leader in advanced industrial automation solutions, unveiled its first wearable exoskeleton at Automatica, the international trade fair for automation and mechatronics, in Munich last month.

Called Mate, this has been designed to provide consistent movement assistance during repetitive as well as daily tasks.

It uses an advanced spring-based passive structure and delivers lightweight, breathable and postural support without the need for batteries or motors.

It is also compact and ergonomically designed, due to the partnership between Comau, Össur (a leading non-invasive orthopedics company) and Iuvo (a specialist in wearable technologies).

Mate is able to replicate any movement of the shoulder, while adhering to the body like a second skin.

Comau vice-president Tobias Daniel said: “Mate has been designed in close collaboration with factory workers. With our exoskeleton, they will be able to do the same tasks but with less fatigue.

“For Comau, this is also an opportunity to reach a global market that grew by more than 60% from 2015 to 2017.

“We believe that the industrial sector will represent about one third of the exoskeleton’s applications.”