Korean Air is tapping a new robotics development from two Korean automotive companies to reduce strain on its technicians.
The airline will be the launch customer for X-ble Shoulder, a new industrial wearable robot developed by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation. The robot is designed to augment a person’s upper-arm strength and reduce shoulder loads during repetitive overhead tasks, which the automakers say should help minimize injury risk and fatigue.
The X-ble Shoulder uses non-powered torque generation, so it does not require batteries or charging. This feature also makes the robot lightweight and simple to maintain, according to Hyundai and Kia.
Korean Air plans to deploy the robot across its aerospace division, including in maintenance and assembly operations for commercial and military aircraft, urban air mobility vehicles, drones, stealth aircraft and satellite launch systems.
“We anticipate that workers’ health and job satisfaction will be enhanced through the introduction of X-ble Shoulder,” says Hyunboh Jung, managing VP and head of aerostructure business department at Korean Air. “We are actively reviewing further adoption to uphold the highest standards in both aircraft manufacturing and maintenance safety and quality.”
Korean Air tells Aviation Week Network it plans to begin rolling out the X-ble Shoulders in August. While the airline is not disclosing the number of robots it has purchased, it says it plans to gradually increase deployment over time.
Other aerospace industry companies have previously tested and introduced wearable robots to reduce technician fatigue and injury risk. Delta Air Lines demonstrated its use of Sarcos Robotics’ robotic exoskeleton at CES 2020, where it said the technology could help a single worker lift up to 200 lb. Airbus and Boeing have used shoulder and exoskeleton wearables to reduce technician strain.
Lufthansa Technik Malta tested exoskeletons for use cases such as aircraft wing inspections and installation and removal of structural parts, but a spokesperson for the company told Aviation Week Network that the technology was difficult to integrate into its established maintenance processes due to the time-consuming process of changing in and out of the exoskeletons and the complications of adjusting them to individual workers’ body sizes.
However, the company acknowledged potential benefits in using exoskeletons for overhead work such as panel replacements under an aircraft’s belly.
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