Royal Australian Air Force orders nearly 500 Apex 2 exosuits
Nashville-based HeroWear's exosuits are now providing back relief to thousands of workers in over 30 countries around the world.
A back-relieving exosuit designed by Vanderbilt University spin-off company HeroWear is continuing to show its effectiveness with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ordering hundreds of additional suits and eyeing larger expansion.
HeroWear, a Nashville-based workforce wearable technology company, was co-founded by Karl Zelik, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, along with two other Vanderbilt alumni, Matthew Yandell and Mark Harris. Zelik also co-founded and co-directs the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology at Vanderbilt.
In 2021, Zelik’s lab received a $1.2 million investment from DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory and Army Futures Command, along with support from the Civil-Military Innovation Institute. The funding supported the Army’s Pathfinder program, a collaboration between Vanderbilt and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. Together, they developed the Soldier Assistive Bionic Exosuit for Resupply, or SABER, which was later commercialized by HeroWear to support service members in the U.S. and friendly foreign militaries.
Last year, HeroWear introduced its newest civilian version of the exosuit, the Apex 2. Studies show this exosuit can reduce muscle fatigue, enhance physical endurance, reduce back injuries and improve worker productivity during repetitive lifting and bending tasks, such as in manufacturing, warehousing, and military sustainment jobs. The exosuit is a wearable assist device that acts like an artificial set of back muscles, reducing back strain and fatigue by about 20-40%—using elastic mechanisms and without the need for motors or batteries. Studies show back pain is the leading cause of disability in 160 countries worldwide.
The RAAF recently ordered 470 additional Apex 2 exosuits, following previous purchases and pilot testing in 2023, to give its personnel an extra edge during their service. HeroWear’s exosuit is one of the most widely used and scientifically-validated exoskeletons in the world, and in September was voted the winner of the National Safety Council’s third annual Safety Innovation Challenge. In August, HeroWear was also named a Startup of the Year Finalist by the Nashville Entrepreneur Center as part of the NEXT Awards, which recognize entrepreneurs who are transforming industries and strengthening the Middle Tennessee community and beyond.
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