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Episode 13: Occupational Exoskeletons with Volker Bartenbach CEO Auxivo
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Welcome back to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, where we continue our analysis of occupational/industrial wearables for workers from Episodes 4 and 11, this time with a very special guest and Patreon supporter: Dr. Volker Bartenbach, founder and CEO of Auxivo. Over the last five years, Auxivo has become a world leader in exoskeletons as an ergonomic solution for workers.
For more exoskeleton-related information, visit: Exoskeleton Report: https://exoskeletonreport.com Wearable Robotics Association: https://wearablerobotics.com Auxivo: https://www.auxivo.com
Episode Summary (AI Generated):
In Episode 13 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast, our guest is the founder and CEO of the Swiss-based occupational exoskeleton company, Auxivo, Volker Bartenbach. The conversation reflects on his early involvement in the field, starting with a PhD at ETH Zurich focusing on exoskeleton control. During his academic years, he developed a STEM education exoskeleton kit, born from the realization that there were no accessible educational tools for students to learn about wearable robotics. This initiative ultimately evolved into a commercial product and sparked his entrepreneurial journey.
The discussion traces the transition from education to occupational exoskeletons, catalyzed by direct outreach from construction and logistics companies who were seeking ergonomic solutions. These unsolicited inquiries revealed an underserved need in the industrial space. Drawing from these encounters, Auxivo was founded in 2019 and company’s first lift-assist product launched in 2020, unfortunately coinciding with the onset of the pandemic. Despite this, by 2024, Auxivo celebrated a milestone of 10,000 units deployed.
The episode explores Volker's guiding philosophy: accessibility and practicality. The goal is to serve not only multinational corporations but also small businesses and independent contractors. The company actively seeks to lower price points, ensure usability across diverse body types, and eliminate barriers to adoption. Fitting and comfort are central challenges.
Real-world adoption environments such as agriculture, logistics, healthcare, and mining are discussed. The founder stresses that exoskeletons are not magic bullets; they are tools that must be tailored to specific use cases and introduced with managed expectations. Misuse, poor fit, and overhyped expectations have led to abandoned devices and reputational damage across the industry.
Addressing comfort and thermal load, the guest notes that user experiences vary significantly. For example, workers in extreme heat often accept the equipment because they sweat anyway, while mid-range temperatures pose more comfort issues. To mitigate this, Auxivo borrows design concepts from sportswear to improve ventilation and moisture transfer, while continuing to shrink the physical footprint of the devices.
The conversation also delves into the learning curve required to use exoskeletons effectively. For example, when riding a bike or using a new car seat, users need time to build motor familiarity and trust the device’s support. Preliminary studies suggest that measurable biomechanical support improves over time, once the user adapts neurologically. Ongoing longitudinal research is investigating this hypothesis more formally.
Finally, the episode reflects on the state of the industry, particularly the need for long-term studies to validate the health and economic impact of wearable robotics. The guest calls for collaboration between manufacturers, universities, insurers, and customers to collect comprehensive data. He also advocates for continued outreach beyond the “wearables bubble,” pra
Chapters
1. Introduction (00:00:00)
2. What led Auxivo to focus on ergonomic solutions for workers? (00:07:48)
3. Where do you see industrial/occupational exoskeletons seeing the most use? (00:12:54)
4. Introducing exos to small and medium businesses vs. larger ones? (00:15:50)
5. Navigating fit and comfort. (00:17:55)
6. How do we communicate to a larger population that this technology exists? (00:30:38)
13 episodes
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