Certain manufacturers of exoskeleton suits expect the equipment to soon become a part of the mainstream according to an article on BBC News.

An exoskeleton suit is a wearable machine that has the capability to enhance power, endurance and strength for its user. 

To improve productivity for its workers, companies that are intrigued by the potential of these suits include American car manufacturers General Motors. They are testing suits courtesy from Californian-based exoskeleton designer SuitX.

“There is no doubt in my mind that these devices will eventually be sold at hardware stores, as the prices come down you’ll be able to simply buy them at Home Depot,” says Homayoon Kazerooni, who is the founder of SuitX.

In addition to SuitX, BioServo are another exoskeleton specialist that General Motors are looking at. The Swedish firm have produced an exoskeleton glove known as the ‘Iron Hand’, which can increase the strength in a user’s hand and which responds to the force applied. It also comes with a phone app where the user can alter how responsive they want the glove to be.

“The implications are, in a word, enormous,” says Jason Cottrell, the chief executive of Canadian software firm MyPlanet. He has carried out surveys on the use of exoskeletons.

“Labour-intensive industries like manufacturing and agriculture have always depended on a workforce that must endure a certain level of physical exhaustion and risk. Devices that support a person’s frame while doing their job will fundamentally change how the industries run.”