Conventional and Unconventional Use of Active Exoskeletons in Manufacturing: Applications, Benefits, and Challenges—A Comprehensive Study

In the realm of physically taxing manufacturing work, active exoskeletons serve as wearable robotic aids to bolster a worker's strength, endurance and ergonomics. Such devices are well suited to the demands of Industry 5.0 and human-robot collaboration, where an unobtrusive interface can be key to improving both safety and output. The present manuscript offers a synthesis of what has been written in research reviews and implementation studies on the conventional and less common applications of these exoskeletons in manufacturing. The current state of the art is a matter of systems-level balance: between the power of assistance and such factors as kinematic alignment, adaptive control and keeping distal mass to a minimum. Cable-driven, soft and pneumatic designs are preferred for this reason, with control methods moving in the direction of intent-aware, adaptive support. The most compelling data from conventional use comes in overhead operations, where active equipment has been shown to cut anterior deltoid activity, or in repetitive lifting, with back-support systems lowering muscle exertion. There are also unconventional applications making headway, from precision positioning and trunk-flexion to mobility-heavy handling in shared workcells with collaborative robots.