British Airways is preparing to trial wearable robotic exosuits designed to reduce injuries and fatigue among its baggage handlers, after parent company International Airlines Group backed the technology's developer.
The investment was made by IAG through its corporate venture capital arm, IAGi Ventures. IAG is the parent of British Airways as well as Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, giving the group a large ground-handling workforce that stands to benefit if the trials succeed. The funding forms part of a round that has taken total capital raised by the developer, Verve Motion, to more than 55 million US dollars.
Verve Motion's system, called SafeLift, is a lightweight, soft wearable robotic device packed into a backpack-like unit worn with a supportive harness. Sensors detect a wearer's lifting movements and deliver powered assistance to reduce muscular strain, without restricting the natural range of motion needed for physically demanding ramp work.
The first British Airways trials will focus on whether the suits can provide effective shoulder support. The airline notes that baggage handlers more often lift loads from waist height up to above their heads β for example when stacking bags in aircraft holds β than from ground level, so the version being developed for BA is intended to maximise support for the shoulders rather than the lower back.
The investment is tied to a wider strategic partnership between Verve Motion and HexArmor, a specialist in personal protective equipment, which will handle commercialisation and distribution of the SafeLift exosuit. According to Verve Motion, customers using the system have reported reductions in injuries of between 60 and 85 percent, productivity improvements of up to 8 percent, and a typical return on investment within around six months.
Ground handling is one of the most injury-prone roles in aviation, with repetitive heavy lifting a leading cause of musculoskeletal strain among airport staff. If the BA trials validate the manufacturer's claims, exosuits could become a more common sight on ramps across the IAG network β part of a broader push by airlines to use technology to protect frontline workers and reduce costly time off.
Sources: Paddle Your Own Kanoo, ADS Advance. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Daniel Okafor.
Comments
Loading commentsβ¦