Sarcos Robotics, an American developer of robotics and microelectromechanical systems, has unveiled the Alpha version of its Guardian XO full-body, powered industrial exoskeleton. The Guardian XO is the world’s first battery-powered wearable robot which can safely lift up to 200 pounds for extended work sessions.
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“The Guardian XO is a great example of what can happen when private industry and government join forces with a small, innovative team to address a common challenge,” said Ben Wolff, chairman and CEO, Sarcos Robotics. “The Guardian XO Alpha units are the culmination of twenty years of effort by our team and represent a huge step forward as we prepare to ship our first commercial Guardian XO wearable robots to our customers in the latter part of 2020.”
Guardian XO combines human intelligence, instinct and judgment with the strength, endurance and precision of machines to address skilled labor shortages and occupational safety issues across many industries. Safe, intuitive and simple to use, the Guardian XO empowers teams to safely do more, enabling more people, whether young or old, big or small, to accomplish physically demanding tasks without stress or strain on their bodies, reports Business Wire.
The first Guardian XO Alpha units will ship to members of Sarcos’ Industrial Exoskeleton Technical Advisory Group (X-TAG) and the U.S. military beginning in January 2020. Commercial production units of the Guardian XO will begin shipping to customers in late 2020.
The Guardian XO has been under development for 20 years, with the initial vision and funding for the effort coming from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and additional funding over the years coming from the U.S. Department of Defense, leading Fortune 500 industrial companies and private investors.
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“Full-body, powered exoskeletons have significant potential to transform the industrial workforce as we know it,” said Remy Glaisner, research director for intelligent operational systems and robotics, IDC. “From improving worker strength, efficiency and safety to reducing occupational injuries caused by repetitive heavy lifting, the Guardian XO is poised to be a game-changer for a wide variety of industries.”
Sarcos is now accepting orders for the Guardian XO and will deliver commercial production units in late 2020.
