At Berlin's Charité hospital, nurses are wearing exoskeletons that make it easier for them to lift patients. The goal is to make the nursing profession less burdensome and more attractive. The system is being produced by a German automotive supplier.
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00:00 Robot noises can now be heard at Berlin's Charité Hospital.
00:07 An exoskeleton is giving nurse Zarafas Contreras additional support.
00:12 It distributes the patient's weight away from the back to the shoulders and legs.
00:18 Though the device is still being tested, Contreras would like it to become standard equipment.
00:23 After all, many nurses leave their careers early because lifting patients gets too painful.
00:29 It's everything we need. Protecting our backs is the most important thing we can do here to extend our careers.
00:37 The robot on the nurse's back doesn't bother patients like Renate Meier. She's happy for them.
00:44 I think it's a good thing that technology is getting more advanced. It benefits both the patient and the nursing staff.
00:54 Charité has been testing exoskeletons since 2021. The current version is completely new and adapted for nursing.
01:02 Handles have also been integrated for the patients.
01:05 Head of nursing research Sandra Strube-Lahmann wants to do a study investigating the impact of the exoskeleton.
01:13 She also hopes to have found a solution to the shortage of skilled nurses.
01:18 I could imagine that we might be able to make a contribution to reducing the strain.
01:25 And that might help prevent some people from leaving the profession.
01:33 Norma Steller from the German company Bionic developed the exoskeleton for nurses. It was introduced in December 2023.
01:42 The first models are already in use in hospitals and healthcare facilities in the US, Europe and Japan.
01:49 It's just the beginning, says Steller.
01:53 When people find a way to improve themselves through technology, they develop it further and integrate it into everyday life.
02:00 An exoskeleton will be part of this. We'll find them both in our working lives and private lives.
02:06 As we grow older, they'll help us live longer and stay independent. It will become normal to wear robots on our bodies.
02:14 It's a vision that's convinced German automotive supplier Mubea.
02:19 The company produces the exoskeletons in North Rhine-Westphalia. The next delivery is ready to go.
02:25 Destination is the US. Stefan Kruber is responsible for the new product line.
02:31 He expects a large global market for exoskeletons in the next two to five years.
02:37 The lever movement is used worldwide in an infinite number of workplaces.
02:43 It's a really basic, important movement. And mobile support in the form of an exoskeleton is, we think, a very mobile way to do this while protecting the back.
02:53 And, in case there is any doubt, generating gains in efficiency.
03:01 Mubea itself could be the first major buyer. The company has 50 factories and 15,000 employees worldwide.
03:09 A test with the exoskeletons is currently underway.
03:13 In the lower back area, which is actually used in many different ways, this kind of support or protection hasn't existed.
03:20 And that's why the exoskeleton is also very interesting for us.
03:24 The Fraunhofer Institute is also investigating whether exoskeletons are suitable for logistics.
03:30 Research is still in its infancy. The devices are too new, but the initial tests are encouraging.
03:37 There's definitely potential for exoskeletons to improve ergonomics and thus contribute to keeping employees healthy.
03:49 Nursana Vascontreras is already convinced. She no longer wants to do without the support for lifting and bending.