14
Developed by Comau in
partnership with IUVO, a spin-off of
the BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola
Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, and
ÖSSUR, a leading Icelandic company
in the eld of non-invasive orthopedic
devices, MATE is a passive
mechanical exoskeleton that stands
out for its capacity to support the
shoulders and arms in their natural
movement. It allows workers to feel
less physical fatigue, thus improving
the overall quality of their activities.
“MATE-XT is an extension of
our commitment to productivity
and well-being in industrial, nonindustrial
and outdoor settings,
which is a fundamental pillar of
our HUMANufacturing approach,”
explains Pietro Ottavis, Chief
Technology Of cer of Comau.
“We believe the global market for
exoskeletons shows a 5-year CAGR
of up to 40%, where the industrial
sector will represent close to half of
this. We have reduced the weight
and bulk of MATE-XT while
increasing its performance
to better meet the needs of
the extended exoskeleton
market. Furthermore, we
are proud to have developed
this new exoskeleton in close
collaboration with our partners,
IUVO and Össur, and the many
workers who use it to execute their
“We believe the
global market for
exoskeletons shows a
5-year CAGR of up to 40%,
where the industrial sector
will represent close to half
of this. We have reduced the
weight and bulk of MATE-XT
WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK | FEBRUARY 2021
tasks with less fatigue.”
MATE stands for
Muscular Aiding Tech
Exoskeleton and is a
passive, spring-loaded
exoskeleton suit (i.e.,
no motorised joints
or batteries) designed
to provide workers with
antigravitational support for
shoulder exion-extension. MATE
is particularly indicated for overhead
tasks.
Thanks to a
chain of passive
degrees of
freedom
the human
shoulder
exionextension
rotation axis
is aligned with
that of MATE:
this makes it comfortable
to use and prevents
undesired and risky
overloads on the human
articulation.
MATE surrounds the
human body with minimal
protrusions to further
protect the users’ safety. The
absence of protruding structures
limits the risk that a worker could
accidentally collide or become
entangled with any equipment in the
environment.
A safety mechanism guarantees
safe use of the device during the
donning/dof ng procedures, while
the shoulder exion-extension
assistance can be easily set by the
operator and adapted to the ongoing
activity or level of fatigue with no
need to take off the device.
“Comau is proud that the
MATE exoskeleton is awarded
EAWS certi cation from the Ergo
Foundation”, explains Duilio Amico,
Marketing and Network Development
Director of Comau Robotics &
Automation Products. “This result
is a further con rmation of the
importance of investing in the
development of innovative devices,
as wearable robotics, to improve
the way operators work and make
production processes safer and more
sustainable”. !
while increasing its
performance...”
COVER STORY | EXOSKELETONS
/WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK