New exo-skeleton makes workers 27 times more productive

A new exo-skeleton has been developed that can make workers 27 times more productive.

According to the director of new initiatives for Lockheed Martin, Adam Miller, who introduced first industrial-use exoskeletons called the FORTIS, the goal was to lighten workers' loads, ultimately making them more productive and skilled at their jobs, CNN reported.

Early tests showed that the team measured the amount of time a worker could hold a 16-pound grinder overhead without having to rest his arms.

Miller had been leading a team of engineers and designers to create the exoskeleton that is able to support tools of up to 36 pounds and transfer that load from a worker's hands and arms to the ground.

The tools mount in front of the FORTIS and the weight is directed through the joints in the hip and down to the floor, relieving stress on the entire body, including the feet and ankles.

The U.S. Navy recently bought two of the exoskeletons and plans to test them over the next six months to see how they might be used in an industrial situation.