Testing the LiftSuit in the Field: How Auxivo Validates Real-World Support

Exoskeleton performance is typically assessed through standardized tasks, such as lifting a fixed weight, while collecting biomechanical data like muscle activity or heart rate. These lab-based evaluations help benchmark how much strain the exoskeleton can reduce. However, such controlled settings only tell part of the story. There’s always a degree of uncertainty about how much support users will actually experience in their daily work. To understand the real impact in a specific industry or application, measurements need to be conducted directly in the field.

Real Tasks, Real Conditions

In collaboration with three logistics customers, our research team conducted structured field studies involving 23 employees. The participants carried out typical warehouse tasks such as lifting, sorting, and loading shelves, many of which involve frequent forward bending.

Each person worked for one hour with the LiftSuit and one hour without it, performing comparable tasks. This allowed for a direct, side-by-side comparison of objective and subjective indicators.

Combining Data and Experience

To understand how the LiftSuit impacts the body during physical work, we used a combination of objective measurements and subjective feedback:

• Electromyography (EMG) sensors were placed on the lower and upper back to measure muscle activity. Each test began with a baseline measurement of the participant’s maximum strength, allowing the normalization of the data across individuals.

• Inertial measurement units (IMUs) recorded trunk movement during the activities.

• Participants were also asked to fill out a questionnaire after each session, providing valuable feedback on comfort, strain, and perceived effort.

“Field measurements give us a realistic picture of how much support our exoskeletons can actually offer under everyday conditions,” explains Annina Brunner, movement scientist at Auxivo. “It’s not just about numbers – it’s about understanding the physical experience of the user and how the body responds over time.”

This dual approach ensures that the products are not only technically effective but also practically useful for the people who wear them.

Measurable Relief and Improved Endurance

The results clearly showed the LiftSuit’s potential to reduce physical strain:

• The average muscle activity in the lower back decreased by 25% during work tasks

• Average lower back load dropped by 24% in a static squat position

• A reduction of 7% in heart rates

• A 28% average reduction in perceived effort pointed to reduced overall exertion

• Muscle fatigue in the lower back occurred 27% more slowly with the LiftSuit

70% of the participants reported feeling physically relieved when using the LiftSuit – especially during tasks that required repetitive lifting or sustained leaning postures.

Outcome

The new industry-specific performance data from three different logistics applications allows potential users to better understand if an exoskeleton can fulfill their specific needs, how it fits into everyday workflows, and how users respond to it.

In addition, the findings also inform our development process, guiding future product design, training recommendations, and identifying new use cases across various industries.

What Comes Next

The team plans further field studies to investigate long-term usage patterns, task-specific effects, and new environments such as healthcare or facility services.

“Our goal is to understand how exoskeletons perform over time, across different tasks and body types.” says Annina.

These insights help us ensure our exoskeletons continue to support where it is needed the most.

Meet the scientist: Annina, movement scientist at Auxivo.

Annina Brunner, movement scientist at Auxivo.

With a background in human movement sciences and biomechanics, Annina leads field evaluations at Auxivo. She uses scientific methods to study how people move during work and turns the results into data that supports ergonomic evaluation and workplace improvement. Whether she is placing EMG sensors in a warehouse or analyzing fatigue curves in the lab, her work helps ensure that Auxivo products are practical, tested, and grounded in real user needs.

Want to explore how the LiftSuit might fit into your workplace?

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