¶ Ottobock Paexo Back exoskeleton
Recommended Technology
Description: The Ottobock Paexo Back is a commercially available, passive lower‑back exoskeleton designed to reduce lumbar strain during repetitive bending and lifting. It uses a purely mechanical energy‑storage principle that transfers load from the lower back to the thighs during lifting, providing relief equivalent to up to ~25 kg of lumbar load without restricting walking or mobility. Because it requires no power or electronics, the Paexo Back is well suited to Australian forestry environments that are remote, uneven, hot, and low‑connectivity.
In Australian forestry operations, Paexo Back is most applicable to manual planting and regeneration, silvicultural tasks such as spraying, fertilising, guarding, and weed control, and depot‑based handling of equipment, tools, and supplies. These activities sit outside fully mechanised harvesting and still involve frequent stooping and lifting. Tree nurseries present an even stronger use case, as routine tasks - handling seedling trays, spacing, grading, and inspection - create high cumulative spinal load over long shifts. In these settings, Paexo Back can reduce injury risk, improve endurance, and support workforce retention during peak seasons.
Paexo Back is a TRL 9 technology, commercially deployed since 2020 across logistics, manufacturing, construction, and maintenance sectors. Indicative pricing is around $10,000 per unit, with low ongoing costs limited to fitting, training, and replacement of wearable components. Overall, it should be viewed as a low‑complexity workforce‑support intervention, complementing mechanisation and digital tools by protecting the manual labour that remains essential in forestry planting, regeneration, and nursery production.
Application in Forestry
Sawmilling and Timber Handling: SuitX exoskeletons are used to help workers lift and move large sections of timber in mill situations.
Silviculture and Harvesting: The technology is being explored for use in tree planting, manual harvesting, and nursery tasks where workers are on their feet for long periods, lowering the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Technical Performance: Studies indicate that rigid exoskeletons, such as those from SuitX/Ottobock, can reduce lower back muscle activity by 18-35% during tasks like chainsaw cutting.
Category: Safety & Worker Assistive Technologies
FWPA RD&E: 4.1
¶ Details
| Company | Country | Type | Website | Available in Australia? | Year | Status | Remarks | TRL | Employees | Colour | Inventors | Patent Model. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottobock | Germany | Company | Link | Green |