Multiple peer-reviewed studies and numerous industry case studies have concluded that workers are satisfied with the comfort of the Apex. We pioneered exosuit comfort research, publishing the first-ever scientific peer-reviewed study characterizing the comfort limits of exosuit forces, which led to our Apex design.
Before we ever created the Apex, we spent years researching how and where to apply exosuit forces comfortably to the body.
We published the first-ever scientific peer-reviewed study characterizing the comfort limits of exosuit forces applied to different parts of the body (Yandell 2020A). And we were the first to comprehensively characterize human-exosuit interface dynamics during the transmission of mechanical power from an exosuit to a user (Yandell 2017). Based on these pioneering scientific studies, we then created prototypes of the Apex and completed further user comfort testing.
In a peer-reviewed field study on logistics and retail workers, over 90% of the workers reported that the Apex prototype was comfortable to wear (Yandell 2020B). These findings were used to finalize the Apex product and ensure it could comfortably assist men and women of different sizes and shapes. We have continued to develop pioneering innovations and spark pioneering new research on exosuit comfort.
Apex comfort during daily work has been corroborated in numerous academic and industry studies. For instance, an independent study by Sandia National Laboratories found that workers rated Apex comfort an 8.3 (on a scale of 10), which was the highest rated comfort amongst 4 different exoskeletons tested (Wheeler 2023). Furthermore, an independent study by Arizona State University demonstrated how unique features of the Apex 2 enabled thermal comfort by reducing heat retention and increasing breathability (Joshi 2023).
In a separate Vanderbilt University study with the U.S. Army, 82% of Soldiers reported that they were satisfied with the comfort of an exosuit prototype (that later became the Apex 2 exosuit) and the remaining 18% were neutral in their opinion of comfort (Slaughter 2023). HeroWear has observed similar outcomes across dozens of field studies and thousands of workers: when exosuits are properly fit and implemented, the vast majority of users—typically over 80%—find the Apex to be comfortable to wear for their daily work.