There is a wearable robot called 'X-ble Shoulder' that boosts strength just by wearing it. Hyundai Motor and Kia delivered the first unit of this robot to Korean Air.
'X-ble Shoulder' is a wearable robot that enhances workers' efficiency and reduces musculoskeletal burden on job sites. The first unit is set to be officially introduced into aircraft maintenance operations.
Hyundai Motor and Kia held a delivery ceremony for the first unit of the industrial wearable robot 'X-ble Shoulder' on the 8th at Korean Air's aircraft maintenance facility in Jung-gu, Incheon, attended by Executive Director Hyun Dong-jin from Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab and Executive Director Jung Hyun-bo from Korean Air's Aerospace Business Division.
Developed by Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab using its own technology, the X-ble Shoulder assists workers' shoulder strength in repetitive upward-looking tasks. It reduces the musculoskeletal burden, decreases the risk of worker injuries, and alleviates work fatigue, thereby increasing productivity. Designed with a non-powered torque generation structure, it is light and does not require separate charging, making maintenance and management convenient.
Additionally, it applies a strength compensation module to generate support power, thereby reducing the load on the worker's shoulder joints and the activation of the anterior deltoid by a maximum of 60% and 30%, respectively.
Since announcing the commercialization plan for the X-ble Shoulder last November, Hyundai Motor and Kia have delivered the product for the first time to contractual customers.
Korean Air, selected as the first customer, will prioritize the introduction of the X-ble Shoulder in the assembly and maintenance of military and civilian aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, urban air mobility (UAM), space launch vehicles, and stealth aircraft in the Aerospace Business Division. The application of wearable robots is expected to significantly alleviate physical burdens on workers due to the amount of time spent on upward-looking tasks during maintenance in the aviation industry, where large aircraft are involved.
To enable use in various industrial sites, Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab have been pilot testing prototypes in Hyundai Motor and Kia's global production plants since 2022 and have improved the technology's completeness by incorporating feedback from over 300 on-site workers.
Executive Director Hyun Dong-jin from Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab noted, "I expect that the X-ble Shoulder, developed through the efforts and technological capabilities of Hyundai Motor Group's employees, will be applied not only in automotive manufacturing but also expanded to various industries to prevent musculoskeletal disorders and enhance work efficiency."
Executive Director Jung Hyun-bo from Korean Air's Aerospace Business Division said, "We plan to expand the application of the X-ble Shoulder to enhance the health and job satisfaction of on-site workers and maintain the safety and quality of Korean Air's aircraft assembly and maintenance at a high level."
Starting with the delivery ceremony, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to commence the official delivery of the X-ble Shoulder to various customer corporations that have made pre-contracts, including subsidiaries of Hyundai Motor Group and domestic manufacturing companies. Furthermore, they aim to expand sales to industries such as construction, shipbuilding, and agriculture, and pursue entry into the global market starting in 2026.
The X-ble Shoulder has been widely recognized for its product safety and design competitiveness globally since its unveiling.
In February, it received the 'ISO 13482 certification' from 'DNV (Der Norske Veritas)', the integrated certification mark registration organization of the European Union, proving its safety, and subsequently obtained the 'Machinery Directive certification' in May. It won the main award in the product sector at the '2025 iF Design Award', one of the world's three major design awards, and last year it received an excellence award in the robotics sector at the American 'Good Design Award'.
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