Hyundai has joined forces with Kia and together they are developing an invention that will effectively help their employees. X-ble Shoulder is a comfortable vest for working in workshops and factories.
I have the impression that for some time now new inventions have been used not to support humans but to replace them. The pursuit of new trends, including artificial intelligence, leads to… in many professions people are slowly pushed out in favor of algorithms. Yet the guiding principle of robotization and automation should be the maxim “to make everyone’s life better.” Fortunately, not all companies use their resources to replace humans. This is proven by the invention of Hyundai and Kia, which will make the lives of their employees easier.
An unusual invention of an automotive giant
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation, part of one South Korean megacorporation, Hyundai Motor Group, have teamed up to create the “X-ble Shoulder,” a mesh vest with elements of what we might call an “exoskeleton.” The purpose of this invention is simple. It’s about relieving the muscles and joints of employees while working with your hands up. On the one hand, it seems like nothing, but on the other, anyone who has ever worked with their hands up for several hours knows how burdensome and tiring it can be.
The most interesting thing is that we are not talking about a system powered by electricity. X-ble Shoulder is lightweight carbon fiber composite structure. The whole thing weighs less than 2 kilograms in total and generates supporting force using a “muscle compensation module”. He is able reduce shoulder load by up to 60%and the deltoid muscle up to 30%. In addition, the device is quite durable. The companies predict it will be able to perform 700,000 repeated folding and unfolding cycles per year.
The companies said the device would be used by their production line workers already in the first half of 2025. It will go on sale globally around 2026. However, this is not the end of inventions that will support employees in performing their duties. Both companies are already working on further devices, including X-ble Waist, which is intended to support lifting heavy loads and reduce the risk of back and spine injuries, and X-ble MEX, a medical robot intended for the rehabilitation of people with mobility problems.
Graphics: Hyundai
