Exosuit to Help Reduce Risk of Back Injuries

HeroWear unveiled Apex 2, the latest version of its back-assist exosuit, designed to help reduce the risk of back injuries.

"When we launched the Apex in 2020, we just wanted to help people do their jobs without sacrificing their bodies, so they could go home with more energy and less pain," says Karl Zelik, co-founder and chief scientific officer of HeroWear and associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University. “We accomplished this with the original Apex. It's impacting people's lives, on and off the job. We've seen it in the data, and we hear it from long-time users. But also we listened and learned from these users and identified areas to improve the suit. We obsessed over the minute design details that make a huge difference in user experience. Now we're excited to bring these latest innovations to workers around the world."

From MHI:

• The Apex 2 leverages the power of science with a focus on comfort, resulting in unparalleled protection and wearability. The suit weighs less than 3 pounds and can take 75 pounds of strain off a typical worker’s back with every lift.
• The science-backed Apex 2 is designed to provide assistance for men and women who frequently perform demanding movements such as lifting and sustained or repeated bending.
• With the Apex 2, it is easier to size and train new users, and donning and doffing is faster and more intuitive. The redesigned, patent-pending switch makes it easy for users to activate the assistance when they need support and deactivate the assistance when they don’t. 

“It’s encouraging to see how the Apex has evolved how work is done and to hear stories about how the suit has already improved the lives of workers,” says Mark Harris, co-founder and CEO. “We’ve been working with some of the largest logistics companies in the world, major auto manufacturers, the U.S. military, food producers and hundreds of other customers — all with the shared goal of protecting people and improving the lives of workers, while delivering a positive impact to the companies’ bottom lines.”