Thanks to a robot skeleton

Why Ecoplus is also Exoplus

Prefabricated house builders Bernhard Kohlbauer and Benjamin Huber demonstrate that heavy loads are easy to lift with exoskeletons.

(Bild: Klaus Schindler Krone KREATIV,)

They are neither green nor fierce, but have enormous powers. On Hartl Haus construction sites, there is now a superhero craze that hardly anyone can resist. Why? Because the craftsmen there not only use professional tools, but also exoskeletons. What this does and how it works (see video above).

"You hardly feel it at all," says Hartl-Haus employee Bernhard Kohlbauer as he puts on the exoskeleton on Raphael Garschall's Zwettl construction site to work with the mechanical support structure. Although this is not the first time for the muscular prefabricated house builder, he is still very unaccustomed to working with the equipment on his body.

"And then you have superpowers," one of the many spectators interjects during the presentation. "Something like that. But you can't fly," laugh Kohlbauer and his colleague Benjamin Huber - "even if it looks like it," they say with a sense of humor. But then Kohlbauer becomes more serious and reveals his first personal experiences.

Something like this. But you can't fly with it - even if it looks like you can.

Fertighausbauer Bernhard Kohlbauer auf den Einwurf, ob man mit dem Exoskelett dann Superkräfte habe.

Several years of tests and research
The employee of the traditional prefabricated house builder describes his experiences with the exoskeleton. In his usual Waldviertel brevity, he gets to the point: "Yes, it helps a little." This first practical evaluation was preceded by several years of testing and research into the use, handling and benefits of Hartl Haus and the regional business agency ecoplus.

Would you like a little more?
Because, according to the manufacturer, this little bit should bring a lot: This model is not only expected to increase productivity, but also to relieve the strain on shoulder muscles and joints, which of course means less loss of quality and ultimately a much longer period of physical fitness despite heavy work.

What is an exoskeleton?

An exoskeleton is an external mechanical support structure - usually modeled on the body. It can be used to support and relieve the human body on construction sites and in workshops, as well as in logistics, production and maintenance. This not only increases the employee's productivity, it also keeps them fit for longer.

"The exoskeleton shows that the use of modern technology can also be an answer to the shortage of skilled workers. On the one hand, a tool like this can make this job more interesting for young people. On the other hand, older workers can also perform heavy physical tasks more easily," said Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, praising Hartl Haus's efforts to repeatedly take on a pioneering role and participate in the ecoplus "Bau.Energie.Umwelt Cluster" of the state's business agency.

Back to the superheroes
The superhero craze on the Zwettl building site continues unabated. You almost have to be a superhero to finance the construction of a new house. The Garschall/Bayer family decided to build a two-storey extension on top of the existing basement of the family home from the 1960s, as they finally needed more space with twins. This also meant that the very extensive renovation measures were no longer necessary and there was no further soil sealing.

Which exoskeleton is used

• Type: Paexo Shoulder,
• Manufacturer: ottobock
• Weight: 2 kilograms
• Application: For overhead work. Can be put on like a backpack in less than a minute with a little help. The exoskeleton is passive, which means that only the body's own energy is used without electric motors or similar.
• Function: Two ergonomically shaped energy storage units on the back support the lifting and holding of the arms. Cable pulls and springs can reduce the strain on the shoulder muscles and joints by up to 40 percent simply by redirecting the body's own energy.
• Benefits: The manufacturer speaks of 15 percent more productivity and the much longer maintenance of fitness (less sick leave) of long-term employees.
• What else is possible: In addition to passive exoskeletons like the one used, the range extends to electrically powered and partially AI-controlled active exoskeletons, which are already a kind of modern lightweight robot for wearing on the skin.

Getting to work
Prefabricated house builders Bernhard Kohlbauber and Benjamin Huber then used the exoskeletons to carry out some planking in the ceiling area quickly and with a certain ease. "Our employees are the focus here, and technologies such as exoskeletons offer the opportunity to provide precisely this support through technology. Especially when working overhead, we can save our employees' strength and increase the quality of their workplaces," said Hartl-Haus Director Yves Suter, naming the important aspects for him.

Kohlbauer then demonstrated the use of the exoskeleton in detail for the camera, and the Governor and ecoplus Supervisory Board Chairman Jochen Danninger also used the exoskeleton to lift an honest-to-goodness Hartl-Haus wooden beam rather than day-to-day political business.

Innovation important for the economy
Danninger concluded: "The use of new technologies is increasingly becoming an economic success factor. As the state's business agency, one of the main tasks of ecoplus is to provide the Lower Austrian economy with the best possible framework conditions for its further development."