Standards for the safety of exoskeletons used by industrial workers performing manual handling activities: a contribution from the Robo-Mate project to their future development

Funded under the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Commission, the goal of the Robo-Mate project is to develop an intelligent, easy-to-maneuver, and wearable body exoskeleton for manual handling work. Workers in the manufacturing industry are exposed to factors that increase their likelihood of developing Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). The Robo-Mate industrial exoskeleton will be designed in accordance with best practice ergonomic principles to facilitate manual handling activities in multiple case study settings. An array of existing standards will be referenced in detail when designing the exoskeleton. As there is currently no standard that specifically targets the safety exoskeletons for industrial workers, it is intended to use Robo-Mate results to promote such development. To facilitate this process, a roadmap outlining tasks and responsibilities was created. It details who will oversee the process to promote and facilitate the further development of existing standards and ensure Robo-Mate results are targeted at suitable stakeholders. This will be achieved on three levels. In Level 1, the information will be directly communicated to standards developing bodies, specifically ISO, CEN and their members. In Level 2, assistance will be sought from organizations with interests in industrial robotics to add support to Robo- Mate when seeking to use the project’s results to develop standards. Finally, the project details will be distributed to increase the awareness of the Robo-Mate project to the public, end-users, manufacturers, and distributers of industrial exoskeletons.