ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Center
for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has concluded that industrial
exoskeletons, including Lockheed Martin's (NYSE: LMT) FORTIS,
improve industrial productivity and prevent work injuries. The
findings are included in the final report Industrial Human
Augmentation Systems (iHAS) for Improved Shipyard Operations
released to Lockheed Martin.
Summarizing tests at a U.S. Navy shipyard, the NCMS report found
that the FORTIS exoskeleton could mitigate nearly all injuries from
power tools by making the tools effectively weightless during
operation. Additional benefits included increased productivity and
quality improvements. The report noted that shipyard work is
hazardous, with a high rate of injury in the United States.
"It is significant that in both tasks where the exoskeleton was
used, the amount of work accomplished and time-on-task increased.
We received valuable feedback from the study, and it's clear that
FORTIS can prevent accidental and long-term injuries while allowing
workers to be more productive," said Glenn
Kuller, Advanced and Special Programs vice president at
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "That's a double-win,
for both workers and employers."
To support the test and evaluation efforts, Lockheed Martin
provided FORTIS units on loan to two naval shipyards. Testing and
evaluation measured worker productivity, work quality and ergonomic
considerations. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with
participants expressing a desire to use the exoskeleton in their
regular work. The study proved that using human augmentation to
accomplish shipyard tasks involving heavy tools can improve
productivity while mitigating a significant cause of worker
injury.
The FORTIS exoskeleton is an unpowered, lightweight exoskeleton
that increases an operator's strength and endurance by transferring
the weight of heavy loads from the operator's body directly to the
ground through a series of joints at the hips, knees and ankles.
Originating from Lockheed Martin's exoskeleton research to assist
soldiers in carrying heavy equipment over long distances, the same
principles were applied to exoskeleton development for use in
industrial settings.
For additional information, visit our website:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/exoskeleton/industrial.html
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin