Hyundai wants to change the way we move

On the list of wearable robot suit makers, you might not expect to see ‘car manufacturer’. But you shouldn’t be too surprised. Last week, Hyundai revealed two of its exoskeleton prototypes.

The H-Wex (the ‘W’ is for waist) is a device to help cut down on the number of back injuries due to industrial heavy lifting. And the H-Mex – designed to aid paraplegics and senior citizen. Both are lightweight versions of the company’s previously developed H-LEX.

This isn’t the first time the South Korean car company ventured into the medical field.

Earlier this year, scientists at Hyundai delivered computer-assisted surgery robots to healthcare institutions in Korea.

In fact, Hyundai holds roughly 80 patents on wearable robots.

With clinical trials currently underway, the automaker is working to acquire medical certifications and plans to begin shipping demo units in 2020.