What has been the key factor in the adoption of exoskeletons by your operators?
Bernard Boulle: “The acceptance of the exoskeleton is crucial. They have evolved a lot over four years within Naval Group. In 2018, during our first tests, the acceptance was low and the collective rather skeptical. These first exoskeletons were heavy, bulky, imposing. Their wearers compared themselves to Robocop! It lasted a few months. Today, our operators know and are interested in exoskeletons. Our subcontractors are also curious. We introduced them to the models under test at home and we share our feedback with them.”
How do you deploy exoskeletons on your sites?
Bernard Boulle: “The Ironhand glove® is at the end of the validation course for metalworkers. Boilermakers, mechanics and handling worktasks are under study. For exoskeleton deployment, we target populations with higher stresses and the most prone to MSDs of the hands and upper limbs. The objectives, these are the retention, the reduction of accidents and musculoskeletal disorders. It is also the accessibility of women to all our positions and a distribution of innovation as close as possible to our employees on the production sites. Finally, these new tools strengthen the attractiveness of the company for jobs that are hard to recruit to”.
What is the future of exoskeletons within Naval Group and the industry?
Bernard Boulle: “Retention is essential. We note that even by improving our working conditions, our tools and our organisation, difficult working situations persist. Exoskeletons are part of the solutions that can allow operators to have a better quality of life at work.
In a second step, when the exoskeletons offer a sufficient level of performance, we can integrate them into the workstations as a tool and not as a device to reduce the constraints. We are close, manufacturers are constantly innovating, and the products of tomorrow will be even more efficient. Take the Ironhand® glove, its technical developments are interesting, and their development projects are promising. For many of our trades, this glove will reduce physical constraints and reduce the strenuousness of certain tasks.
Beyond Naval Group, and even beyond the industrial world, the new generations of exoskeletons will be able to contribute to improving the comfort and quality of life of a wide variety of populations, such as people with disabilities and the elderly.”