VDEI Verband der Exoskelett-Industrie e.V. (Association of the Exoskeleton Industry)
Organisation Type
Forschungseinrichtung
Business sector
Erbringung von freiberuflichen, wissenschaftlichen und technischen Dienstleistungen
Mission Statement
The Association of the Exoskeleton Industry e.V. – in short ''VDEI'' – represents the exoskeleton suppliers in Germany, Europe and worldwide. VDEI explains and represents the interests, points of view and concerns of its members towards politics, administration and the public and promotes the acceptance of the technology.\\n\\nCore Functions:\\n- Validate applicable use cases for manufacturers in industry, logistics, and health.\\n- Define research interfaces between OSHA, governmental & standardization bodies.\\n- Evaluate the medical benefit and efficiency of industrial & medical exoskeleton devices.\\n- Investigate the efficacy of wearable robotics compared to existing ergonomic practices.
Our campaign pledge
Aligning the shared goals of the EU OSHA and the exoskeleton industry to validate and facilitate the safe introduction of exoskeletons in Europe to support workers, healthcare professionals, and consumers, to further prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Dr. Julia SCHNEIDER
Head of the Advisory Board & Scientific Committee
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are the leading work-related health problem in the European Union, causing severe long term pain, discomfort and disability for employees.\\n\\nThe problem – which is increasingly prominent with advanced age – is exacerbated by macroeconomic trends, such as aging populations and a shrinking workforce. The EU accounts for 15 of the top 20 oldest populations globally.\\n\\nMusculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) lead to significant healthcare and social support costs for afflicted individuals due to physical and psychological stress, negatively affecting both personal and professional commitments.\\n\\nThe total cost for all EU countries in lost productivity has been estimated at 2% in GDP annually due to work absence and incapacity from disabilities.\\n\\nMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have consistently been cited as the most common work-related health problem in the European Union (EU) across all sectors and occupations. \\n\\nExoskeletons represent an innovative new approach in ergonomics and occupational safety & health aimed at preventing chronic work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) by focusing on localized muscles groups to provide relief from the physical and psychological strains of modern life for key workers engaged in stressful repetitive operations.\\n\\nDespite decades of investment and oversight musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are still on the rise, indicating that there is a limit to the effectiveness of current solutions to the problem, such as education and training to promote healthy postures, organizational measures to reduce employee time and load stress, ergonomic equipment, such as pallet trucks, cranes, and personal protective equipment, and workplaces layouts to reduce the prevalence and amount of time spent in uncomfortable and unergonomic positions, such as repetitive lifting or raised arms.
