VIVELAB-EXO: Pioneering a New Era of Intelligent Exoskeletons and Human Digital Twins

Last week, the consortium of the VIVELAB-EXO project undertook a pivotal phase of data collection and evaluation within the Human-Centric Laboratory at CTAG’s state-of-the-art facilities. This milestone underscores the shared commitment of all partners to transform industrial ergonomics and exoskeleton deployment into a measurable, safe, and widely accessible reality.

What is VIVELAB-EXO?

VIVELAB-EXO is an initiative co-funded by EIT Manufacturing, uniting the expertise of CTAG, ViVeTech Nyrt., GOGOA Mobility Robots, and FAREL Plastics (a Wirthwein Group company).

Its mission is to pioneer an innovative methodology to evaluate the ergonomic benefits of exoskeletons, harnessing the power of advanced simulation and human digital twins.

The vision is bold yet clear: to deliver a tool that accelerates the adoption of physical assistance devices across manufacturing and beyond, providing quantifiable evidence of their ability to reduce strain, prevent musculoskeletal disorders, and enhance worker well-being.

Scientific and Technical Challenges

The creation of human digital twins seamlessly integrated with exoskeleton models poses a fascinating array of challenges:

• Multimodal data capture – encompassing kinematics, muscular forces, posture, fatigue, and workload.

• Coupled human–machine simulation – ensuring biomechanical models truly reflect real-world behaviours.

• Experimental validation with participants – calibrating digital models with empirical data.

• Decision-making interfaces – enabling ergonomists and industry leaders to interpret simulations with clarity and confidence.

Recent Progress at CTAG

In this latest campaign at CTAG:

• Extensive human data collection was carried out under controlled conditions simulating industrial tasks.

• Comparative assessments were undertaken to quantify the biomechanical differences between scenarios with and without exoskeleton assistance.

• These data sets are now feeding into the calibration of simulation models and digital twins.

• The exercise reinforced the cross-sector collaboration of the consortium, a decisive element in ensuring scientific rigour and industrial relevance.

Such laboratory trials are indispensable, ensuring that digital simulations remain firmly anchored in reality, whilst providing invaluable insight into improvements required for real-world applications.

Why It Matters for GOGOA

As a core partner, GOGOA brings expertise in exoskeleton technology and industrial integration. The success of VIVELAB-EXO directly enhances our mission to set the standard in physical assistance solutions. Key benefits include:

• Delivering a digital decision-making tool for manufacturers to anticipate the impact of exoskeletons before large-scale adoption.

• Lowering barriers to acceptance by providing robust, quantitative evidence of ergonomic benefits.

• Cementing GOGOA’s role as a European frontrunner in industrial ergonomics and human-centred robotics.

Moreover, synergies with the SUPERHUMAN project reinforce our trajectory towards next-generation solutions for fatigue mitigation and safe human-robot collaboration.

The Road Ahead

The forthcoming stages of VIVELAB-EXO will include:

1. Refinement of digital twin models, drawing upon broader datasets and diverse industrial scenarios.

2. Validation in real-world industrial environments, beyond the laboratory.

3. Development of intuitive dashboards and interfaces to guide ergonomic decision-making.

4. Adaptability across contexts, ensuring applicability to varied exoskeleton types and work settings.

5. Long-term impact assessments, examining reductions in injuries, absenteeism, and worker fatigue.

Conclusion

The milestone reached at CTAG is more than a research exercise; it is a decisive step towards re-imagining how industry safeguards its workforce. VIVELAB-EXO epitomises the convergence of technology, ergonomics, and human-centred design, with GOGOA proudly contributing to this European endeavour.

We remain steadfast in our mission: to make tomorrow’s factories safer, more efficient, and fundamentally more humane.

Onwards we go! 🚀

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