► CAR tests Hyundai’s X-Ble Shoulder tech
► Wearable robotics tech designed to aid manual jobs
► Tech will go on sale later in 2025
‘Transformed Into A Cyborg!’ sounds like some sort of B-movie sci-fi thriller you’d watch at a drive-in theatre. But engineers at Hyundai have crafted robotic technology that isn’t far off that, making such a thing no longer the imaginative ramblings of a science fiction novelist.
This is the X-ble Shoulder, a wearable vest equipped with braces around your arms. It’s designed to support those in physically demanding jobs – and is just the start of a range of robotic inventions Hyundai is working on that goes far beyond cars.
CAR was invited to become a test subject for the technology, and experience how it can work for those who really need it.
Wait, what? Hyundai makes robots now?
Yes. First of all, the automotive giant owns a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics. If you’re not familiar with Boston Dynamics, that’s the company that makes those spooky, yellow four-legged robots that can act like dogs, carry packages and more. Boston Dynamics is also rather famous for those videos doing the rounds on social media of bipedal robots doing parkour to test how ambulatory they are.
However, more recently, Hyundai has created its own robotics laboratory based in Seoul. The brand’s own efforts at its Robotics Lab range from automotive themed projects to service robots and wearable technology seen here and service robots. For example, the robotics lab itself already uses small service robots that ferry mail around the building.
It’s also trialling a robotic device that plugs in your charger for you in a tightly packed bay parking space at an EV charging point; extremely useful for the disabled who increasingly feel overlooked regarding how charging stations are designed. An area of particular focus, though, is wearable robots.
So, this is defined as wearable robotics?
Correct. The X-ble Shoulder is one of three articles of wearable robotics that Hyundai plans to officially produce. The aim for the Shoulder model we’ve tested is to relieve the user from some of the stress of raising their arms regularly in physically demanding roles and ones that demand a lot of what’s defined as ‘overhead work’. Hyundai says that includes roles in construction, marine and automotive manufacturing, agriculture and logistics.
Two versions of X-ble Shoulder are being produced. The basic one ‘is designed for tasks where the human posture continues to change,’ according to Hyundai, and offers up to 2.9kgf of assistive force. An ‘adjustable’ one is designed more for helping those who repeat the same movement, providing 3.7kgf – think of someone doing the same process for several hours while working in a car factory, for example.
The tech itself is attached to a washable vest, and can be deconstructed easily for maintenance and cleaning. The structure is made from a carbon composite material, and uses something called a ‘non-powered torque generation structure’ that generates power from the wearer’s movements, and means it doesn’t need charging.
Hyundai says the X-ble Shoulder ‘can augment the user’s upper arm muscle strength and reduce the burden on the upper musculoskeletal system,’ and is designed to enhance worker safety, reduce injuries and make the task at hand more comfortable. The engineering team claim X-ble Shoulder ‘can reduce shoulder load by up to 60 per cent, and anterior/lateral deltoid muscle strain by up to 30 per cent.’
This is the first bit of wearable tech out of a series of three that are being developed, with Hyundai planning it for imminent commercial sale after years of trials and testing.
The second bit of tech is named X-ble Waist. That system is worn around your hips and is meant to augment your legs, relieving strain for those who regularly bend down or crouch in their job. SiHyun Joo, head of robotics & intelligence at Hyundai’s Robotics Lab, tells us: ‘the X-ble Waist is still at the research stage, while X-ble shoulder is ready for sales – they will start soon.’
The third is X-ble MEX, which is a much more elaborate leg brace set-up designed for the walking impaired. Hyundai says the aim of the MEX technology is to aid in the rehabilitation of those with mobility impairments, and with a MEX set already in use at the Seoul Asan Hospital. ‘While the Shoulder and Waist are designed for the worker and to help improve productivity, MEX is all about rehabilitation for patients,’ says SiHyun Joo.
So… what’s the X-ble Shoulder like to wear?
If you think the Shoulder kit is designed to help you lift something several times your weight like some sort of superhero, I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work like that. I’ll admit that was my expectation, too – but it didn’t help me lift an Ioniq 5 like it was a bag of crisps – bummer.
You put it on just like wearing a gilet, which makes sense given it is basically a breathable vest with some mechanics strapped to it. Then you need to attach the arm braces, which are wrapped tightly around your biceps. Given there are no powered electronics, there’s no need to power it on or wait for it to activate – it’s live and reactive the moment it’s strapped to you.
Initially, it’s a very surreal experience. The moment you move your arm, the assistance quickly responds. It’s not intrusive or overbearing, but you do know you have something attached to you and that it’s responding promptly to your movements.
I performed a task that would represent what a real owner would do: working in a car repair shop, removing and attaching bolts to the underside of a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
To that end, it didn’t mean I could relax my arms while the robotics propped them up. Instead, it provided support. Holding my arms up above my head for the job absolutely was made easier, with the X-ble tech providing just enough force to relieve the strain on my arms but still allow me to remain in control of my own movements.
Why bother with all this?
The overall intention is better wellbeing for the manual worker, reducing the prevalence of the associated health problems and injuries that can come from such work. Hyundai has also pointed to a study by Global Information that highlights that wearable robots and ‘exoskeletons’ will grow from a $3.37bn business in 2025 to one that’s worth $13.52bn in five years.
It does feel a bit Black Mirror-ish as a project, mind you. Bearing in mind that – in countries like Korea and Japan – ageing populations mean people are having to work longer. Technology like this can certainly ease the strain and keep people working longer – which certainly makes it a beneficial, albeit short-term, solution for businesses exactly like Hyundai Group that conveniently operates in sectors where tech like this would allow their workforce to remain productive for longer.
That said, the Robotics Lab at Hyundai and Boston Dynamics are just two organisations that are pursuing a range of use cases for robotics. While some projects like automated taxis and delivery robots, may risk a loss of human workforce, others are designed to make life for humans easier.
Treading that balance is going to become very significant in the years to come.