The Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has developed an agriculture robot suit tailored to the 40% of Japan’s farm workers who are over the age of 65.
Shigeki Toyama, a professor in robotics who developed the harvesting and pruning suit, sought to make it industry and task-specific in order to generate cost savings in producing the suit.
"Anyone can use it without a drop in work efficiency," Toyama said. "I want to increase the types of work in which it can help."
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Agricultural Robotics
- Robotic exoskeletons are part of a growing trend towards automation in agriculture, providing opportunities for innovation in crop harvesting and more.
- Assistive Wearable Robotics
- Robotic exoskeletons can be developed to assist humans with various physical tasks, such as pruning and harvesting on farms.
- Age-friendly Technology
- The development of robotic exoskeletons to assist aging workers in physically demanding jobs highlights a trend towards age-friendly technology in the workplace.
Sectors Adopting This
- Agriculture
- The use of robotic exoskeletons in agriculture will increase productivity and reduce physical labor, disrupting the industry by changing how crops are harvested and maintained.
- Healthcare
- Assistive wearable robotics have opportunities for disruptive innovation in the healthcare industry, particularly in rehabilitation and support for those with mobility difficulties.
- Manufacturing
- The development of cost-efficient and industry-specific robotic exoskeletons has disruptive potential in the manufacturing industry, increasing safety and productivity while reducing worker fatigue.
