Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) 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.
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Sarcos Robotics Partners with Delta Air Lines to Bring First Public Demonstration of Guardian XO Full-Body, Force-Multiplying Industrial Exoskeleton Robot to CES 2020. (Photo: Business Wire)
Sarcos, the world’s leader in exoskeleton development, has developed the
Sarcos Guardian XO, a battery-powered, full-body exoskeleton designed to
boost 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 up to eight hours at a time without strain or fatigue.
“We owe it to the best airline employees on the planet to explore how
emerging technology can make their jobs safer and easier,” said Gareth
Joyce, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Airport Customer Service & Cargo.
“That’s why we sought out a partnership with Sarcos.”
Delta is the first company whose frontline employees have worked
directly with Sarcos to determine potential operational uses for the
Guardian XO. In November, Delta people representing Airport Customer
Service and Cargo visited the Sarcos headquarters to see it in action
and explore how wearable robotics could potentially benefit them in
their everyday work.
The Guardian XO is designed for use in industries where lifting and
manipulation of heavy materials or awkward objects is required and isn’t
easily handled by standard lift equipment. Potential uses at Delta could
include handling freight at Delta Cargo warehouses, moving maintenance
components at Delta TechOps or lifting heavy machinery and parts for
ground support equipment.
Exploring how advanced tools and tech can better support employees is
one way Delta aims to improve workplace safety while extending its
industry lead in operational performance for customers. Watch
Delta employees exploring Sarcos exoskeleton technology.
Delta plans to test the technology in a pilot location during the first
quarter of 2020, giving employees the opportunity to experience the tech
in a real-world setting and provide additional feedback on its
functionality.
In addition to enabling superhuman strength for extended periods, the
robotic suit may also level the playing field in terms of physical
capacity. Roles that have historically been limited to those who meet
specific strength requirements could potentially be performed by a more
diverse talent pool, thanks to wearable robotics.
Ben Wolff, Sarcos CEO, said, “We look for companies who are clear
leaders in tech adoption and have a history of innovating to meet the
needs of their customers and their employees. Delta is the natural fit
in the airline industry and has proven to be a great partner as we work
to fine tune this technology for commercial deployment.”
Delta first started working with Sarcos in 2018
as part of its “X-TAG”, or exoskeleton technical advisory group,
representing the aviation sector. This council includes ten of the
Fortune 100 across a variety of industries, including industrial
manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, logistics, construction,
automotive, aviation and aerospace.
At CES and want to see the Guardian XO for yourself? Stop by Delta’s
booth (#14035) in Central Hall where attendees can get first-hand
experience with the technology.
About the Guardian XO
The Sarcos Guardian XO represents the next step in the evolution of
high-performance, highly dexterous, mobile robots that augment human
performance. Sarcos Robotics is the first and only company in the world
to produce a full-body, powered robotic exoskeleton that increases
strength and endurance. The Guardian XO enables the operator to perform
hours of physical activity that would otherwise be impossible for a
single human to perform.
Because the Guardian XO supports natural, fluid and intuitive movement,
it requires relatively minimal operator training. A Guardian XO is
capable of repeatedly lifting and supporting up to 200 pounds without
fatigue or strain. The human operator bears none of the load of the
exoskeleton, and only that portion of the payload that is necessary to
enable the operator to understand that weight is being lifted. The
Guardian XO can be donned and doffed in just 30 seconds.
Sarcos is now accepting orders for the Guardian XO and will deliver
commercial production units in late 2020. For more information about
Sarcos, the Guardian XO and its other safety and productivity-enhancing
robots, visit https://www.sarcos.com/company/.
About Sarcos Robotics
Sarcos
Robotics is the world’s leader in industrial robotic systems that
augment human performance by combining human intelligence, instinct and
judgment with the strength, endurance and precision of machines to
enhance employee safety and productivity. Leveraging more than 25 years
of research and development, Sarcos’ mobile robotic systems, including
the Guardian®
S, Guardian®
GT, and Guardian®
XO®, are
revolutionizing the future of work wherever physically demanding work is
done. Formerly the robotics division of a major defense contractor,
Sarcos is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, powered by an innovative team
of entrepreneurs and engineers, and backed by Caterpillar, GE Ventures,
Microsoft and Schlumberger. For more information please visit www.sarcos.com.
About Delta
Delta is the U.S. global airline leader in products, services,
innovation, reliability and customer experience. Powered by its 80,000
people around the world, the airline serves nearly 200 million people
every year on more than 5,000 daily departures across its
industry-leading global network to more than 300 destinations in over 50
countries. Over the past several years, Delta has led the airline
industry in transforming the customer experience by introducing the first
end-to-end biometric terminal in the US at Atlanta’s international
airport, real-time
RFID bag tracking and automatic
check-in via the Fly Delta mobile app, an alliance
that will empower customers with seamless in-cabin connectivity
experience, more
efficient and high-tech automated
screening lanes, and a groundbreaking
app that helps Delta pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable
flight. The global airline is also empowering its employees – Delta’s
greatest competitive advantage – by arming them with handheld platforms
that allow for more personalized service delivery and more meaningful
interactions – not just transactions – with customers. All of this has
resulted in Delta being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative
Companies Worldwide two consecutive years, and Fortune’s Most Admired
Airline for eight of the past nine years.
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