The occupational exoskeleton field has collectively realized that the biggest barriers to adoption are not related to physical assistance, but rather to comfort and movement interference. Studies from universities and companies have repeatedly found that soft exosuits are a better fit for most work processes and environments, and are more comfortable and acceptable to most workers.
In the last few years, the occupational exoskeleton field has come to the collective realization that the biggest barriers to adoption are not related to physical assistance, but rather to comfort and movement interference. While rigid exoskeletons and soft exosuits have each repeatedly been proven to provide back relief and musculoskeletal offloading (Kermavnar 2021; Lamers 2021; Schwartz 2021; Raghuraman 2024), it is now evident in the scientific literature and in industry feedback that soft exosuits like the Apex are perceived by most users to be more comfortable and less restrictive to movement.
For example, one Pennsylvania State University study compared the Apex to a rigid exoskeleton for use in a foundry. This study concluded that the “Apex suit fits Benton’s process much better [than the rigid exoskeleton]” and one of the main reasons cited was because the Apex was more flexible to move in (Slavin 2021). In a separate study conducted by the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and Technology, the Apex was tested on agriculture workers and compared to an exoskeleton built from semi-rigid rods (Frixen 2022). This study found that the Apex had better usability and acceptance amongst users. The reasons cited were that the Apex was more comfortable and because its modular design could be better adapted to fit the different body proportions of users. In yet another independent study, Clemson University found that the Apex provided a similar amount of back relief as a rigid exoskeleton, but that the Apex was rated as easier to use (Raghuraman 2024).
Multiple thought leaders in the exoskeleton field have also made public statements about soft exosuits, like the Apex, generally being preferred over rigid exoskeletons due to comfort and movement interference differences. For instance, in a recent keynote presentation on occupational exoskeletons, Dr. Maury Nussbaum, a leading ergonomics researcher from Virginia Tech remarked, “I also think the future is soft. We do lots of demos for people in different occupational sectors (construction, mining, etc.) and a clear message I hear is that [for] these exosuits that are mainly soft materials, people are much more receptive to them… [they’re] much more comfortable over time” (Nussbaum 2022).
These remarks are consistent with the feedback we hear from our own Apex field studies. Many Apex clients either trialed rigid exoskeletons before contacting us, or performed head-to-head comparisons of multiple exoskeleton products before selecting the Apex as their preferred exosuit solution.