An electric exoskeleton that allows the wearer to lift 90 kg for a longer period of time was built by the American company Sarcos and will be commercially available in 2020. The Guardian XO Max exoskeleton is a full-body exoskeleton that has been in development for 17 years (R&D costs $175m).
Sarcos says the suit contains a "series of sensors integrated into the exoskeleton, allowing the operator to intuitively operate the robot in a way that takes advantage of his or her instincts and reflexes, and minimizes the need for human training".
Practical aspects
The batteries that power the suit last for eight hours on a single charge and can be exchanged without loss of power. The suit needs 400W of power while running at human speed, and it takes about a minute for operators to get in and out of the suit.
The Guardian XO Max XO has a strength gain of 20 to 1, making the person wearing the suit feel 100 kilos in weight as five kilos. The full weight of the suit and everything that is worn is transferred to the ground through the structure of the suit. Sarcos will ship the Guardian XO Max in 2020.