What at first glance looks like something out of a science fiction movie actually offers immense advantages, especially in contract logistics. Lifting, stacking, order picking - all this is made noticeably easier for warehouse staff with the artificial spinal columns from Comau. With the help of an ingenious spring mechanism, the weight is transferred from the arms and shoulders and transferred to the pelvis via a metal back plate. This not only relieves the strain on the arms and shoulders by up to 40 percent, but also positively supports the posture of the spine from the outside. The aim is not to artificially increase the user's load-bearing capacity or the speed of order picking, but rather to protect the health of the spine in the long term with the "Mate" device and thus relieve the strain on it in the long term.

From medical technology to logistics
The exoskeletons - which can be purely mechanical, as in the test in Lehrte, or equipped with small electric motors - were originally developed for the medical sector, for example to enable people with paraplegia to walk again. With its use in contract logistics, another useful field of application has now been added: "Mate" was tested at Hellmann's Lehrte site to determine its practical suitability in day-to-day work. Individual packages on site weigh up to 250 kilograms. Under normal circumstances, moving these - even if it takes two people - requires a great deal of effort. According to the manufacturer, the exoskeleton not only relieves the strain on the arms and shoulders, but also significantly protects the posture of the spine. The test subjects at Hellmann are unanimous: the exoskeletons deliver what they promise. Due to their low weight of barely more than three kilograms, they are hardly noticeable when worn. Only the straight posture is unusual at first - the ergonomically correct lifting from the knees, with a straight back, places particular strain on the muscles in the thighs and torso, which initially led to the odd muscle ache. After the successful test and the positive feedback from the test subjects, Hellmann decided to purchase the exoskeletons at the Lehrte site. And other Hellmann locations have already expressed interest in a test run.

Focus on ergonomics
Demographic change, an increase in musculoskeletal disorders and new research are resulting in more and more actual areas of application for the use of exoskeletons in the world of work. "It is important to us to continuously search for new solutions together with our innovation teams in order to make the world of work in logistics healthier in the long term. First and foremost, this involves making workplaces ergonomic, i.e. taking organizational and technical measures to relieve the strain. If this has been done, but the physical strain is still high, for example due to carrying heavy components or working overhead, exoskeletons are a good measure for maintaining and promoting health. The results in Lehrte show that our employees appreciate this support and that the effect on posture and body relief is immediately noticeable," says Adam Pietzka, Health Manager at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. This is just as much about responsibility towards the employees and the appreciation of their work as it is about long-term cooperation, which can only be guaranteed by maintaining health.

Pilot projects: Developing innovations
The logistics service provider aims to drive forward innovations with partners from various sectors as part of pilot projects and to co-develop new technologies in various ways in line with demand. To this end, an innovation team is constantly on the lookout for interesting partners, such as start-ups, and networks at various levels, such as in the BVL working group "Digital Warehouse", from which the platform www.technologieradar.de also emerged. The aim is to promote the development of innovative technologies in order to protect the health of employees, reduce the burden on the environment and optimize processes. Lehrte was selected as a multi-user site with a broad customer spectrum and a correspondingly diverse range of products for testing the exoskeletons. This allowed the exoskeletons to be tested in an optimal test environment under the close supervision of the "BGPM-Forum", an external partner for occupational health and personnel management from East Westphalia. A trained physiotherapist from the BGPM Forum accompanied the practical test on site for a week and ensured that the exoskeletons were used correctly and relieved the strain on the body.