Hyundai Motor, Kia unveil wearable robot X-ble Shoulder

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. unveiled the wearable robot X-ble Shoulder at Wearable Robot Tech Day held at the Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. 

This device can assist the user’s upper arm muscle strength and reduce the burden on the upper extremity musculoskeletal system.

It generates assistive force through the muscle compensation module instead of the electric system with a non-powered torque generation structure.

The X-ble Shoulder weighs roughly 1.9 kg and can be sized to fit the wearer. Its body length is adjustable between 406 mm and 446 mm. 

The X-ble Shoulder comes in two versions: basic and adjustable. The basic version is best for tasks where the posture is not fixed and continues to change and offers up to 2.9 kgf of assistive force.

The adjustable version, ideal for tasks that repeat the same movement, allows users to set the angle for maximum torque based on their work posture, providing up to 3.7 kgf of assistive force.

Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics LAB also announced a commercialization plan for X-ble Shoulder. 

The first step is to apply it to Hyundai Motor and Kia’s production and maintenance departments.

From the mid-2020s onward, they plan to expand sales to the 27 affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group to external companies.

In 2026, they aim to enter overseas markets, such as Europe and North America, and plan to expand sales to other industries, such as construction, shipbuilding, aviation, agriculture, and automobiles.

In addition to the X-ble Shoulder, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to develop an industrial wearable robot X-ble Waist to assist the waist when lifting heavy loads, and a medical wearable robot X-ble MEX for the walking impaired.

Write to Jeong-Eun Shin at newyearis@hankyung.com