Soft Exoskeleton Market Size

Soft Exoskeleton Market Size

Soft Exoskeleton Market size valued at USD 765 thousand in 2018 and will witness 28% CAGR up to 2025.

Increasing product demand for application in healthcare centres and industrial facilities along with the high incident rate of gait disorders are driving the soft exoskeletons market share over the forecast timeframe. Low cost of the exosuits, and the capability of wearing the suit underneath clothing are among the prominent attributes expected to provide significant consumer inclination towards these products.

Increasing adoption of exosuits for healthcare applications is attributed to the rising physical disabilities from diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Proliferating hospitals and medical centres offering improved rehabilitation therapy procedures including gait training for paralytic patients will support the industry proliferation till 2025. Additionally, recovery from injuries including spinal cord, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries supports the soft exoskeleton market expansion over the forecast timeframe.

Soft exoskeletons offer a wide variety of benefits compared to the rigid exoskeletons including construction from flexible materials, that utilizes bowden cables, air muscles, and filaments for easier body movement. Moreover, easier wearing of the suit along with custom fitting and compatibility with distinct body shapes and sizes are strengthening the soft exoskeleton market growth through 2025.

Development of lightweight actuation platforms that applies controlled forces to the person wearing the suit along with multiple anchoring points equipped in the garment supports in overall minimization of the suit mass. Additionally, the distal mass attached to the wearer is significantly reduced through flexible transmissions and proximally mounted actuation systems transmitting power to the body joints.

Innovative sensor systems incorporated into the soft exoskeletons for measuring human kinematics and suit-human interaction forces. Multiple sensors including gyroscope, inertial measurement unit, and pressure sensors among others are used for offering compliant, cost effective, robust solutions, further expanding the soft exoskeleton market share

Industry participants along with research institutes are continuously investing in R&D to introduce innovative soft exoskeleton solutions for catering to a wide range of customers. For instance, in 2018, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering collaborated to develop machine-learning algorithm for creating personalized exosuits. Continuous innovations for the effective utilization will present strong growth landscape for soft exoskeleton market share over the forecast period.

Government regulations and standards are expected to provide strong support to the overall industry growth. For instance, in 2017, American Society for Testing and Materials formed a Committee F48 for addressing concerns related to the design & manufacturing, maintenance & disposal, human factors & ergonomics, security & information technology, and task performance & environmental considerations. These standards will enable industry participants to focus on improving quality and offer low cost innovative solutions, further propelling the soft exoskeleton market size over the projected timeframe.