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German Bionic, a Berlin-based pioneer in robotic exoskeleton technology, unveiled its Apogee Ultra exoskeleton to help workers with hard physical jobs.
The company said the Apogee Ultra is the the world’s most powerful series-production exoskeleton. I haven’t used it yet so I can’t verify that claim. Unveiled at CES 2025, such exoskeletons that you lift things or bear heavy weights have been a common sight at the show over the years.
Available today and designed to empower workers across logistics, manufacturing, construction, bagging handling, and healthcare industries, Apogee Ultra sets new benchmarks in strength, adaptability, and worker safety, meeting the demands of various high-intensity tasks and enhancing productivity, the company said.
Seen in action in videos and demonstrated throughout CES at the German Pavilion (Hall A, Booth 50339), Apogee Ultra is the company’s strongest and most intelligent exoskeleton to date. It helps deliver safer, healthier, and more inclusive workplace environments while addressing critical social and demographic challenges – such as labor shortages and an aging workforce.
Brains and brawn
The Apogee ULTRA is more than just a powerful robotic exoskeleton; it is a highly adaptive support system capable of adjusting to individual user needs thanks to advanced machine learning capabilities and German Bionic’s high-tech, human-centric approach to human augmentation.
With dynamic lifting support of up to 80 pounds / 36kg, it makes physically demanding tasks feel effortless, making a 70-pound lift feel as little as just 8.8 to 11 pounds for the lower back. Additionally, it offers active walking support – making 10 miles feel like eight – and provides vital relief for bent-over tasks, enhancing comfort and productivity in intensive roles.
Driven by vast amounts of high-quality, relevant data collected from thousands of users over countless hours of real-world applications, Apogee Ultra boasts intuitive, AI-driven features that adapt to individual users’ physiology and tasks, ensuring optimized performance and comfort during everyday work, the company said.
Enhancements include the remarkably powerful Ultra Mode, smoother transitions between support modes, and greater sensitivity to respond to even the smallest movements.
“Data serves as the cornerstone for continuous device evolution and protecting workplace investments. Thanks to machine learning, the Apogee ULTRA is always up to date, with new features and capabilities delivered through over-the-air updates,” said Norma Steller, head of development at German Bionic, in a statement.
This ensures users consistently benefit from cutting-edge support, making it a future-ready solution for any workplace. In industries like warehousing and logistics, where high physical demands and staffing shortages are common, the Apogee Ultra offers numerous benefits:
- Reduced Fatigue and Injury, Enhanced Efficiency: By alleviating lower-back strain, the exoskeleton helps workers stay focused and productive throughout their shifts.
- Lower Sick Leave: Companies using German Bionic exoskeletons have seen a 31% drop in sick leave.
- Improved Handling and Mobility: Enhanced lifting and movement capabilities ease the handling of heavy and awkward goods, reducing injury risks during tasks like loading or unloading trucks.
- Extended Career Longevity: By supporting musculoskeletal health, the Apogee ULTRA helps workers sustain long shifts and physically demanding tasks over the course of their careers.
- Appealing Job Role: Advanced technology like Apogee Ultra makes roles more attractive to prospective employees, promoting higher retention rates.
Enhancing seamless connectivity and user engagement
The Apogee ULTRA is complemented by the German Bionic Connect app, which elevates the user experience with detailed performance metrics such as steps taken, weight lifted, and usage time. The app fosters engagement through its bi-directional communication channel, giving users the opportunity to provide direct qualitative input.
This ability to gather user insights and suggestions enables continuous improvements and delivers a tailored experience that adapts to everyone’s unique needs. By integrating workers more closely with the technology they use, the app builds a sense of ownership and active participation in their well-being, workplace safety, and performance – ultimately achieving outstanding user acceptance rates.
360° human augmentation
All of this talk of human augmentation reminds me of the Deus Ex video game series, and hopefully that dystopian narrative won’t become real for us.
Alongside the German Bionic Connect app and the Apogee Ultra exoskeleton itself, German Bionic’s 3600 human augmentation approach also includes a powerful data insights platform (German Bionic IO) and further human-machine interfaces.
This integrated approach to human augmentation enables the platform to provide precise calculations and depictions of ergonomic Safety Levels, facilitates activity monitoring and reporting, and supports efficient fleet management – all on an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard. Additionally, a video-based academy offers comprehensive onboarding tutorials and expert Pro Tips to help users unlock the full potential of the power suit.
“The Apogee Ultra is the culmination of years of innovation,” said Armin G. Schmidt, CEO of German Bionic, in a statement. “It is not just the most powerful exoskeleton but a dynamic solution for real-world challenges, redefining what’s possible for workforce support. We’re delighted that we’re continuing to push the boundaries of human augmentation, empowering workers to achieve more – safely, efficiently, and sustainably.”
Availability
The Apogee Ultra is available now and it will be updated over time via over-the-air updates. Founded in 2017, German Bionic is at the forefront of developing next-generation active exoskeletons designed to enhance the physical capabilities of workers across various industries.
