Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, and Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd. have jointly developed X-ble Shoulder, a mechanical exoskeleton that does not require electrical assistance, with the aim of improving industrial efficiency while reducing the incidence of musculoskeletal diseases among workers.
On automotive production lines, workers are often required to work at height, and maintaining an arm-raised posture for long periods of time can cause strain on the arms and shoulders. To solve this problem, two subsidiaries of Hyundai Motor Group, Kia Motors, and Hyundai Motor's robotics lab jointly developed the X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton device.
The exoskeleton is not battery-powered and is made of carbon fibercomposites used in high-end models, making it extremely lightweight and designed to assist in working at height. By optimizing the strength of the upper arm muscles, the X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton reduces shoulder pressure by 60% and anterior and lateral deltoid muscle activity by 30%. With a total weight of approximately 1.9 kg, it can be adjusted in length (406 mm to 446 mm) depending on the user's body type and guarantees full freedom of movement from 0 to 180 degrees.
The power assist of the X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton is derived from its patented multi-arm structure, which is integrated into the muscle compensation module. Each robot arm can be adjusted independently to ensure optimal assistance in different operating scenarios. The module is designed to last approximately 700,000 fold-and-unfold operations per year. Its application fields are not limited to the automotive industry, but can also be extended to many industries such as construction, shipbuilding, aviation and agriculture.
"The X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton is a portable robot that combines cutting-edge technology from the lab with real-world user feedback." Dong Jin Hyun, vice president and director of Kia & Hyundai Robotics Lab, explained.
Between 2022 and 2024, about 300 employees and health management specialists at Kia and Hyundai plants participated in product testing. Recommendations for ease of operation, comfort, freedom of arm movement, assisted adjustment, cleaning and maintenance, etc., to improve the product and add new features.
The exoskeleton has been first put into use in the production and maintenance workshops of Kia and Hyundai. From 2025, the two companies will sell to 27 subsidiaries of Hyundai Motor Group and external companies in Korea. In 2026, the company plans to enter overseas markets, especially in Europe and North America, and gradually expand into construction, shipbuilding, aviation, agriculture and other fields.
The X-ble Shoulder exoskeleton is just the first product in the X-ble family (the "X" stands for unlimited potential, and the "able" stands for omnipotent). At present, Kia and Hyundai have announced follow-up product plans: the X-ble Waist lumbar exoskeleton is designed for weight-bearing operations, and the X-ble MEX medical rehabilitation exoskeleton is used to assist in the rehabilitation training of patients with walking disabilities.