The Conference will be organised by the Fraunhofer Institute IPA in cooperation with the Stuttgart University and the Wearable Robotics Association (WearRA). The 38th A+A Congress, which is held by Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Sicherheit und Gesundheit bei der Arbeit (German Federal Association for Occupational Safety and Health - Basi) will be closely dovetailed thematically and in terms of content with it.

Being able to walk again despite a serious injury, handle heavy parts without outside help or simply do overhead work comfortably and for extended periods of time - the advantages of exoskeletons have already convinced numerous industries. Exoskeletons and wearables are now already being used successfully in industry and commerce, and major machine builders and automakers as well as the medical sector are continuing to experiment with man-machine connections. Currently, the global market volume for exoskeletons is valued by leading analysts at over US$20 billion by 2030.

“As an ergonomic aid to ease the burden of physically demanding work, exoskeletons are an increasingly important component of modern occupational safety and health and thus a current and also forward-looking topic that could hardly be in better hands than at the world’s largest trade fair for occupational safety and health,” explains Dr Urs Schneider, Head of Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. 

“Basi's 38th International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine will complement the WearRAcon Conference with such aspects as the selection and safe operational use of modern exoskeletons and wearables. It offers all attendees, company stakeholders, consulting specialists and occupational physicians as well as decision-makers a professional, high-quality and innovative knowledge platform for sustainable prevention in companies,” explains Dr. Christian Felten, Managing Director of BASI.    

The WearRAcon Europe Conference 2023 will provide new insights into the promising world of exoskeleton systems from different perspectives and, in conjunction with the A+A Congress, set future-oriented impulses. It thus offers the ideal framework for scientific and industry-focused discourse.  

Lectures by renowned exoskeleton pioneers combined with testimonials presented by users from a variety of industries and keynotes by experts will round off the high-calibre programme. Prof. Dr. Thomas Alexander of the Federal Agency of Occupation Safety (BAuA) will report on the future of work. 

The Conference will be supplemented by a wide variety of products and solutions on display at the trade fair and two further exciting areas in the ExoPark: like at the previous A+A, a Self-Experience Space will again be set up so that the exoskeleton systems of various manufacturers can be tested in realistic work scenarios. This Space already met with avid interest among visitors and exoskeleton manufacturers in 2021.

In parallel with the Self-Experience Space, the large live study Exoworkathlon will also take place again. Trainees from various mechatronic training courses have to complete a concourse and perform holding, lifting and assembling tasks, which have been specially developed with the industry. Data is prospectively collected with different measuring sensors to measure the effects of exoskeletons.

In the Exoworkathlon, the IPA focuses especially on prevention for young employees in order to raise awareness of the issue and counteract ailments at an early stage. 

“The market for exoskeletons is undergoing a very dynamic development. Not only major companies but also more and more SMEs use this technology successfully. This is why the cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA is of strategic importance to us,” explains Lars Wismer, Project Director, A+A. 

For more information on WearRAcon Europe visit: https://www.wearraconeurope.de/en/wearracon-Europe.html

For more information on Exoworkathlon visit:
https://www.exoworkathlon.de/en/about-exoworkathlon.html