Exoskeleton from German Bionic Assists Healthcare Professionals in Lifting Elderly Patients
German Bionic, the startup responsible for the lightweight Apogee exosuit, has recently unveiled the Apogee+, a hardware update designed to assist healthcare workers. This powered exoskeleton enables nurses and other medical professionals to enhance their interaction with patients, particularly those who are elderly or physically weak. The company aims to alleviate the significant stress experienced by these healthcare providers.
To this end, Apogee+ is designed as a “personal elevator assistant” that provides active assistance in walking, lifting and organizing patients for treatments and hygiene procedures such as showering. The robosuit provides nearly 70 pounds of back relief per lift and includes integrated handles for a firm grip on items and repositioning patients.
Just like its exoskeleton sibling, the Apogee+ is small and lightweight, allowing many people to use it in a variety of environments. It’s also waterproof, which should help when bathing patients, and dustproof, which should help when you’re working in dilapidated medical facilities straight out of a Stephen King novel.
Most of the German Bionic products, like the powerful Cray X, are designed for industrial use, but the Apogee+ is made for health stations, so it has a softer shape and light “patient-friendly” colors. The unibody exterior of the suit is designed for an easy disinfection process to prevent bacteria and germs from accumulating. This is of course quite necessary in healthcare environments.
German Bionic cites recent data celebrating the effectiveness of exoskeleton products in healthcare settings, saying it “provides flexible and reliable support for healthcare staff”. Apogee+ is now rolling out across North America, so it’s already available for purchase by the healthcare industry. If you want to try it yourself, book a trip to Germany in November. The company will offer in-person demos at the global medical trade show Medica on November 13. These exoskeletons cost $9,900, or $299 per month for bulk customers.
