March 12, 2024 Verve Motion Unveils Exosuit Software for Worker Safety

Verve Motion unveils software platform for its wearable soft exosuit, targeting injury prevention and boosting performance for workers.

• Verve Logic^TM software and data analytics platform paves the way for game-changing enhancements in industrial worker safety when used in combination with SafeLift^TM exosuit solution.
• Sensors embedded in the SafeLift exosuit collect 3D motion and force data while it is being used by workers throughout their day.
• The combination of a software platform and unique data analytics, which build off industry standard risk factors, provides ergonomic-based insights for individual worker safety This enables companies to optimize their facilities according to the unique demands of their tasks and environment.
• In an initial deployment of Verve Logic used in combination with the SafeLift exosuit, 97% of workers confirmed it assisted their tasks and 83% noted it enhanced lifting posture.

CAMBRIDGE, MA – In a significant stride toward shaping the future of industrial safety, Verve Motion today introduced a software and data analytics platform, Verve Logic^TM, seamlessly integrated into its innovative wearable robotics SafeLift^TM exosuit. This enhanced product offering aims to pinpoint critical areas that pose injury risks to industrial workers as they work – those who often routinely handle lifting tasks exceeding 50,000 pounds per day – while simultaneously offering coaching to enhance both individual and group performance.

The SafeLift exosuit, the world’s first soft exosuit that offers tailored, adaptive assistance customized for each worker and task, is a lightweight wearable solution that combines real-time motion sensing with robotic assistance. Its comfortable form factor, which wears like a backpack, is designed to power and protect industrial workers. The solution alleviates about 40 percent of the strain on a worker’s back during a typical workday by providing assistance in parallel with their underlying muscles.

A recent customer study found significant impact of the SafeLift exosuit when used in conjunction with the newly launched software, on both workplace safety and efficiency:

• According to the findings, 97 percent of workers reported the exosuit assisted in their daily tasks, highlighting the effectiveness of the technology in enhancing job performance;
• The study also revealed notable improvement in ergonomic practices among users, with 83 percent stating the exosuit solution improved their lifting posture – a key factor in reducing workplace injuries and promoting long-term health among industrial workers; and
• 98 percent of those surveyed said they would recommend the exosuit to a coworker, indicating a high level of satisfaction and confidence in the technology’s ability to transform the workplace.

“The SafeLift exosuit development was informed through extended testing of human subjects where we collected biomechanics data in a lab environment to understand how an individual moves, and how much back offloading the suit provides,” said Conor Walsh, PhD, scientific co-founder Verve Motion and faculty member at Harvard University where he advances exosuit research through the Biodesign Lab. “It is exciting now that Verve Motion is making this same type of data available to workers and their organizations through Verve Logic so they can understand injury risk reduction and optimize the use of SafeLift for their operations.”

“The real-world impact of this technology stems from the exosuit’s dual function: it not only protects workers from injuries by supporting their bodies during ergonomically risky lifts but also lessens the effort needed for all lifts, including those considered ‘safe.’ As a result, workers can return home to their families unharmed and with enough energy to enjoy their lives outside of work,” said Christopher Buck, Head of Product at Verve Motion.

Verve Logic – New Platform Poised to Redefine Data Empowerment

Now available as a standard feature with the SafeLift exosuit, the Verve Logic platform delivers cutting-edge safety analytics. The software delivers a sophisticated suite of actionable reports and insights, honing in on vital aspects such as ergonomic risk analysis, trend analysis and exosuit utilization. This powerful software empowers industrial workers and allows companies to optimize their facilities according to the unique demands of their tasks and environment.

Among the analytics captured by Verve Logic:

• Motion-Based Insights:
  Sensors embedded in the SafeLift exosuit collect 3D motion and force data while the suit is in use to help drive safety and operational improvements. The Verve Logic platform goes beyond traditional data gathering to offer comprehensive insights, including key analytics such as lift count, usage duration, and weight offloaded. The software notably advances further by autonomously identifying risky movements, such as prolonged bending, excessive forward bending, twisting, and side bending, which are known to increase the risk of injury.
  
  This innovative approach empowers individual workers by providing a nuanced understanding of their day-to-day risks, enabling them to make informed adjustments to minimize the likelihood of injuries. Verve Motion’s solution empowers leadership teams with the capability to proactively intervene, offering coaching and implementing facility improvements to enhance the overall well-being of their workforce.
  
• Personalized Reporting and Coaching:
  Verve Logic further enhances performance with safety reports that provide on-site safety trainers and leadership with clear, actionable insights related to safety. Individualized worker reports offer tailored coaching and feedback, contributing to overall team improvement.
  
• Customizable Group and Facility Analytics:
  Verve Logic also offers a customized tool that allows on-site safety teams to pinpoint groups at greater risk of injury through analysis of factors such as job roles, shifts, and experience levels. This data-driven approach facilitates targeted enhancements in coaching and ergonomics, with Verve Logic software streamlining prioritization of these initiatives based on actual distribution site metrics.

A site trainer and warehouse worker at one of the nation’s leading grocery retailers shared his experience, “Verve Logic gives everybody an opportunity to see day-in and day-out what they’re doing, what they can do better. I know my biggest thing is extended bending, so I know in the back of my head, when I select not to extend bend that way, I can continue to have a good back later on in life.”

Since its 2020 launch, Verve Motion’s SafeLift exosuits have aided U.S. workers in lifting more than 300 million pounds, reducing lower back and hip injuries by up to 85 percent, and boosting productivity by 3-7 percent, according to usage studies. The technology also enhances worker retention and recruitment. SafeLift exosuits have been deployed in a wide range of industries, including grocery, package distribution, third party logistics, retail, supply chain distribution, and manufacturing. 

About Verve Motion
Verve Motion is a wearable robotics technology company, committed to improving the lives of workers across various industries. With a passion for innovation and a focus on ergonomics, safety, and productivity, the company is developing cutting-edge soft exosuits that redefine the way people work. Spun out of Harvard University’s Biodesign Lab, part of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Verve Motion is based on a decade of research funded by DARPA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. Since its inception in 2020, Verve Motion has raised more than $40 million in financing from a diverse group of investors. For more information, visit www.vervemotion.com.

Subscribe to Industry Today