Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics

In this episode, Bobby Marinov from Exoskeleton Report and Dr. Tom Sugar from the Wearable Robotics Association recap their November trip to Germany for WearRAcon Europe 2025, A+A Düsseldorf, ExoPark, and the ExoWorkAthlon. They discuss the scale of the world’s leading safety trade fair, the growing momentum behind occupational exoskeletons, standout presentations from the conference, hands-on dem...

Powered exoskeletons for under $1,000 are finally here - but are they useful technology, expensive toys, clever gimmicks, or something in between? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tom Sugar after a day and a half of hands-on testing with several consumer hip exoskeletons, including the Hypershell base model, the Dnsys Pro, and the Hypershell Ultra. Tom is not just a curious first-time user; he...

In Episode 27 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast , we sit down with Gregory Galarneau of The Exoskeleton Store for a grounded discussion on what occupational exoskeleton adoption actually looks like in the field. Rather than staying at the level of theory, this episode digs into how Gregory entered the space through industrial automation, why he saw exoskeletons as a practical answe...

In Episode 26, we’re joined by Dr. Karl Zelik, a biomechanical engineer and Vanderbilt University professor whose work sits right at the intersection of research, real-world deployment, and industry translation. Karl is also Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at HeroWear, an industrial exosuit company, and a board member of the American Bionics Project, giving him a rare “full-stack” view of...

Thrilled to have our first guest who is an integrator of ocuppational and industrial exoskeletons, Andre Jutel, from Stanley Handling Ltd. Andre has worked for an exoskeleton producer before becoming a full time division head. He accutely understands the importance of education, communication, setting expactations and matching the correct device and solution to the ergonomic concern at a job site....

What does 55 years of combined exoskeleton and powered prosthetics just between two peopel sound like!? In Episode 24 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Michael Goldfarb, a H. Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University with additional appointments in electrical engineering, computer science, and physical medicine and rehabilitation...

Episode 23 with Bionice Power: Chapter Markers 00:00 – Welcome & Introductions Bobby Marinov and Dr. Tom Sugar introduce the episode and guests: Gualtiero, CEO, and Rob Nathan, Director of Operations at Bionic Power. 01:20 – From Military to Medical How Bionic Power began in 2007 developing energy-harvesting knee exoskeletons for soldiers, and later pivoted to medical rehabilitation for childr...

Join Dr. Tom Sugar (Wearable Robotics Association) and Bobby Marinov (Exoskeleton Report) as we recap RehabWeek 2025, a world leading conference for rehabilitation robotics, medical exoskeletons, and neurotechnology which was held in Chicago this May. In this episode, Tom shares highlights from the exhibition floor, where 6+ societies united to showcase the future of human mobility. Hear firsthand...

Is there a way to physically simulate the behavior of wearable devices? From shortening the product iteration and development cycle to creating a new method to testing out prosthetics and orthotics... Humotech aims to simplify the development and adoption of prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeletons. In Episode 21 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, we sit down with Dr. Josh Caputo,...

Thrilled to have Melissa DiVierti, aka "BLUE EYE QUEEN,"  join Dr. Tom Suggar, aka "Sugar Daddy Jetpack Tommy," and me, Bobby Marinov, aka "Therion," as we discuss how we can make exoskeleton technology look more colorful and accessible. It is no secret that the world of wearables and wearable robotics is dominated by men, with only a handful of the 100+ startups in t...

Dr. Sugar and I are proud to be able to share Episode 19 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast for ExR's Patreon Supporters! This time, we are lucky to have as a guest Dr. Jason Gillette, who shares his impressions of occupational exoskeletons. His Biomedical Engineering degree, decades of hands-on expertise in ergonomics and multiple industrial exo projects have given him a deep...

Welcome to Episode 18 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast. We continue our discussion of medical exoskeletons and physical rehabilitation robotics, this time, joined by Dr. Arun Jayaraman, Executive Director, Technology & Innovation Hub (tiHUB) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Few people on the planet have more hands-on experience; Arun has tested, evaluated, and implemented more reha...

On Episode 17 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, hosts Dr. Thomas Sugar (Wearable Robotics Association) and Bobby Marinov (Exoskeleton Report) are joined by Zen Koh, Founder & CEO of MotusAcademy, and Ambassador at IISART. Zen does a phenomenal job balancing technology with businesses, while sharing his insights on the present and future of rehabilitation robotics technology. M...

How many students have access to exoskeleton labs or projects, and what are some alternatives? Welcome to Episode 16 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast. This time, we discuss EduExo and EduExo Pro (made by Auxivo) with the founder and CEO of Auxivo himself. The EduExo is a commercial product designed to make learning about wearables and wearable robotics easier and more accessible t...

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, where we discuss the past, present, and future of technology that moves you. In this edition, we are joined by Dr. Zach Lerner, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University. Researcher of rehabilitation robotics and director of the NAU Biomechatronics Laboratory. Zach's love for human mobi...

In Episode 14 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, Dr. Tom Sugar and I have the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Ballini-Ross, an ergonomics solutions professional with practical experience working with small, large, and multinational corporations, as well as a small farm owner herself. Sarah Ballini-Ross brings her unique expertise in navigating occupational exoskeletons from the per...

Welcome back to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, where we continue our analysis of occupational/industrial wearables for workers from Episodes 4 and 11, this time with a very special guest and Patreon supporter: Dr. Volker Bartenbach, founder and CEO of Auxivo. Over the last five years, Auxivo has become a world leader in exoskeletons as an ergonomic solution for workers. For more e...

In this conversation, Matthew Marino—a recognized expert in occupational exoskeletons—provides a comprehensive overview of pediatric exoskeleton solutions and related non-exo devices, with a special focus on Cerebral Palsy applications. Matthew Marino has over twenty years of experience in physical rehabilitation, health, fitness, human performance, ergonomics, and injury prevention, as well as in...

Welcome back to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, where we continue our analysis of occupational/industrial wearables for workers from Episode 4 with a very special guest, Marisol Barrero, famous for being one of the first corporate teams to implement shoulder-support exoskeletons at Toyota North America.    Marisol Barrero is the co-founder and current Board member of the Automotive...

In this episode, WearRA director Dr. Thomas Sugar recaps his trips to the:  2024 Las Vegas National Ergonomics Conference Are You Ready for Exoskeletons Workshop (held at the same conference) Augmented Enterprise Summit Join us as we take a front-row seat to two premiere events and the latest trends in exoskeletons, wearable robotics, general wearables, and augmented and virtual reality. Where is...

Welcome to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast: the one source for real-life practical human augmentation where we cut through the science fiction and marketing hype to get to the bottom of what this technology can and can't do for you or your family.  We are very fortunate to have our first guest on the podcast, George Woodland is one of these super rare individuals who has years...

Welcome to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast. In this episode, Bobby (Exoskeleton Report) and Prof. Tom Sugar (Wearable Robotics Association) discuss the over one dozen organizations worldwide that further the adoption of exo technology in their unique ways.  00:00 Introduction 03:24 Automotive Exoskeleton Group (AExG) 05:37 ASTM International Exo Technology Center of Excellence (ET C...

In Episode 7 of the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics Podcast, hosts Bobby Marinov (ExR) and Tom Sugar (WearRA) team up to uncover the recurring challenges that have slowed the widespread adoption of exoskeleton technology—issues like fit, comfort, proving the return on investment (ROI), limitations in range of motion, heat management, and more. The episode delves into these barriers to understan...

Medical exoskeletons are some of the first and oldest examples of wearable robotics. This is the last general overview episode of the applications of exoskeleton technology. Tom and I were cautious in our statements. We realize that countless people suffer from mobility impairments and could benefit from inexpensive, easy-to-use medical wearables. On the one hand, we didn't want to oversell w...

One of the quickly growing applications of wearable technology is for recreational, sports, fitness, and education use. Consumer exoskeletons come in all sizes and flavors and hosts Tom and Bobby explore what is on the market and how it compares to related technologies.  Support the show