Delta is first airline to explore
first-of-its-kind wearable robotic exoskeleton to bolster employee
strength and safety
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is partnering with Sarcos Robotics
to explore new employee technology fit for a superhero – a mobile
and dexterous exoskeleton designed to boost employees’ physical
capabilities and bolster their safety.
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Sarcos Robotics Partners with Delta Air
Lines to Bring First Public Demonstration of Guardian XO Full-Body,
Force-Multiplying Industrial Exoskeleton Robot to CES 2020. (Photo:
Business Wire)
Sarcos, the world’s leader in exoskeleton development, has
developed the Sarcos Guardian XO, a battery-powered, full-body
exoskeleton designed to boost human performance and endurance while
helping to prevent injury. This robotic suit, designed for
employees to wear, does the heavy lifting. By bearing the weight of
the suit and the payload, the exoskeleton may enable an employee to
lift up to 200 pounds repeatedly for up to eight hours at a time
without strain or fatigue.
“We owe it to the best airline employees on the planet to
explore how emerging technology can make their jobs safer and
easier,” said Gareth Joyce, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Airport
Customer Service & Cargo. “That’s why we sought out a
partnership with Sarcos.”
Delta is the first company whose frontline employees have worked
directly with Sarcos to determine potential operational uses for
the Guardian XO. In November, Delta people representing Airport
Customer Service and Cargo visited the Sarcos headquarters to see
it in action and explore how wearable robotics could potentially
benefit them in their everyday work.
The Guardian XO is designed for use in industries where lifting
and manipulation of heavy materials or awkward objects is required
and isn’t easily handled by standard lift equipment. Potential uses
at Delta could include handling freight at Delta Cargo warehouses,
moving maintenance components at Delta TechOps or lifting heavy
machinery and parts for ground support equipment.
Exploring how advanced tools and tech can better support
employees is one way Delta aims to improve workplace safety while
extending its industry lead in operational performance for
customers. Watch Delta employees exploring Sarcos exoskeleton
technology.
Delta plans to test the technology in a pilot location during
the first quarter of 2020, giving employees the opportunity to
experience the tech in a real-world setting and provide additional
feedback on its functionality.
In addition to enabling superhuman strength for extended
periods, the robotic suit may also level the playing field in terms
of physical capacity. Roles that have historically been limited to
those who meet specific strength requirements could potentially be
performed by a more diverse talent pool, thanks to wearable
robotics.
Ben Wolff, Sarcos CEO, said, “We look for companies who are
clear leaders in tech adoption and have a history of innovating to
meet the needs of their customers and their employees. Delta is the
natural fit in the airline industry and has proven to be a great
partner as we work to fine tune this technology for commercial
deployment.”
Delta first started working with Sarcos in 2018 as part of its
“X-TAG”, or exoskeleton technical advisory group, representing the
aviation sector. This council includes ten of the Fortune 100
across a variety of industries, including industrial manufacturing,
oil and gas, utilities, logistics, construction, automotive,
aviation and aerospace.
At CES and want to see the Guardian XO for yourself? Stop by
Delta’s booth (#14035) in Central Hall where attendees can get
first-hand experience with the technology.
About the Guardian XO
The Sarcos Guardian XO represents the next step in the evolution
of high-performance, highly dexterous, mobile robots that augment
human performance. Sarcos Robotics is the first and only company in
the world to produce a full-body, powered robotic exoskeleton that
increases strength and endurance. The Guardian XO enables the
operator to perform hours of physical activity that would otherwise
be impossible for a single human to perform.
Because the Guardian XO supports natural, fluid and intuitive
movement, it requires relatively minimal operator training. A
Guardian XO is capable of repeatedly lifting and supporting up to
200 pounds without fatigue or strain. The human operator bears none
of the load of the exoskeleton, and only that portion of the
payload that is necessary to enable the operator to understand that
weight is being lifted. The Guardian XO can be donned and doffed in
just 30 seconds.
Sarcos is now accepting orders for the Guardian XO and will
deliver commercial production units in late 2020. For more
information about Sarcos, the Guardian XO and its other safety and
productivity-enhancing robots, visit
https://www.sarcos.com/company/.
About Sarcos Robotics
Sarcos Robotics is the world’s leader in industrial robotic
systems that augment human performance by combining human
intelligence, instinct and judgment with the strength, endurance
and precision of machines to enhance employee safety and
productivity. Leveraging more than 25 years of research and
development, Sarcos’ mobile robotic systems, including the
Guardian® S, Guardian® GT, and Guardian® XO®, are revolutionizing the future of work wherever
physically demanding work is done. Formerly the robotics division
of a major defense contractor, Sarcos is based in Salt Lake City,
Utah, powered by an innovative team of entrepreneurs and engineers,
and backed by Caterpillar, GE Ventures, Microsoft and Schlumberger.
For more information please visit www.sarcos.com.
About Delta
Delta is the U.S. global airline leader in products, services,
innovation, reliability and customer experience. Powered by its
80,000 people around the world, the airline serves nearly 200
million people every year on more than 5,000 daily departures
across its industry-leading global network to more than 300
destinations in over 50 countries. Over the past several years,
Delta has led the airline industry in transforming the customer
experience by introducing the first end-to-end biometric terminal
in the US at Atlanta’s international airport, real-time RFID bag
tracking and automatic check-in via the Fly Delta mobile app, an
alliance that will empower customers with seamless in-cabin
connectivity experience, more efficient and high-tech automated
screening lanes, and a groundbreaking app that helps Delta pilots
avoid turbulence for a more comfortable flight. The global airline
is also empowering its employees – Delta’s greatest competitive
advantage – by arming them with handheld platforms that allow for
more personalized service delivery and more meaningful interactions
– not just transactions – with customers. All of this has resulted
in Delta being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative
Companies Worldwide two consecutive years, and Fortune’s Most
Admired Airline for eight of the past nine years.
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Heath Meyerheath@zmcommunications.com858-768-1527
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