Hyundai Motor to mass-produce 'wearable robot' exoskeleton in December

Hyundai Motor will mass-produce its X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton, which aims to reduce workplace injuries and increase worker strength. The device will be deployed in Hyundai, Kia, and Mobis plants.

Pictured is a simulation of an employee wearing a VEX wearable robot while working on a car. The X-ble Shoulder robot's design is based on that of the VEX. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor plans to begin mass-producing “wearable robots” this year.

The Korean automaker said Wednesday that its domestic plants would begin the mass production of its X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton in December for eventual sale.

The product aims to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and increase the muscular strength of manufacturing workers.

“Specific details about the production size have not been decided,” a Hyundai Motor spokesperson said. “The wearable robots will also be used in various Hyundai Motor, Kia and Mobis plants.”

Hyundai Motor's VEX exoskeleton, on which the X-ble Shoulder robot's design is based [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The X-ble Shoulder vest, an upgraded version of the VEX contraption that Hyundai first showed off in 2019, is worn like a backpack and emulates the human shoulder to aid workers in assembly line tasks, aiming to reduce their muscle fatigue and risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

The wearable device weighs around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) and does not include a battery.

It is reported to cost multiple millions of won.

This will be Hyundai's first attempt to commercialize its robots. The company has made aggressive investments in robotics in recent years and has maintained the sector as a key growth engine alongside electrification and hydrogen.

The conglomerate, in 2021, invested $880 million in Boston Dynamics, acquiring a controlling stake in the Massachusetts-based robotics company. Boston Dynamics is known for having developed the four-legged robot Spot, humanoid robot Atlas and warehouse-specialized robot Stretch.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]