by Barry Render

From a Kentucky distillery to a French bluejeans maker, companies are retooling to produce medical equipment for overloaded hospitals and slow the spread of coronavirus, writes The Wall Street Journal (March 19, 2020). Christian Dior perfumes has started making hand sanitizer. A car-parts company is producing hygienic masks. Luxury hotels are becoming makeshift quarantine shelters. An earthmoving-equipment maker and other manufacturers are examining whether they can help make ventilators, the key life-support machines.

As the pandemic grips the West, global demand for a range of goods and services has faltered—from handbags and tourism to cars. That has freed capacity for industries to produce medical equipment in short supply. World leaders have framed the crisis as a wartime struggle, and hark back Continue reading →

By Barry Render

Delta Air Lines is partnering with Sarcos Robotics to explore new employee technology fit for a superhero—a mobile and dexterous exoskeleton designed to boost employees’ physical capabilities and bolster their safety, reports New Equipment Digest (Jan. 15, 2020). Sarcos, the world’s leader in exoskeleton development, has developed a battery-powered, full-body exoskeleton designed to increase human performance and endurance while helping to prevent injury.

This robotic suit, designed for employees to wear, does the heavy lifting. By bearing the weight of the suit and the payload, the exoskeleton may enable an employee to lift up to 200 pounds repeatedly for 8 hours at a time without strain or fatigue. The Sancos model is designed for use in industries where lifting and manipulation of heavy materials or awkward objects are required and aren’t easily handled by standard lift equipment.

Continue reading →