Exoskeletons could help farm work efficiency and safety, but many farmers don't know about the benefits.

Exoskeletons could help farmers with demanding tasks.
(Graphic by Adam Dixon, Ambrook Research)

Despite the protection exoskeletons could offer farmers, the shelled apparatuses aren't widely used in agriculture. Farmer education and reduced costs could increase exoskeleton integration into farm-labor practices, reports Alfred Poor for Ambrook Research.

Simply put, exoskeletons are mechanical "devices worn on the body to augment the natural capabilities of a human worker," Poor explains. Some exoskeletons are powered, which means they help increase the force a worker has to do a task, such as overhead lifting. Others have passive power that can energize opposing movements like repetitive bending.

From chucking hay bales to checking calf underbellies for ticks, farmers have a massive amount of physical tasks, which an exoskeleton might help with. The problem is, many farmers don't know about it. Poor explains, "Education may be the biggest barrier to more widespread adoption of exos in agriculture; many farmers simply aren’t aware of the products and their potential benefits."

Cost can be another obstacle. "Even passive exos can be costly, and unlike heavy farm equipment, the manufacturers are not set up to provide payment plans or other terms to ease the financial strain," Poor adds.

Some farmers have discovered exos and use them for a range of tasks. Sarah Ballini-Ross, co-owner of Rossallini Farm in Oregon, told Poor, "A lot of the farm work really involves that repetitive lifting from ground to waist level, so my exo is the first thing I grab when it comes to doing hay. . . . I use my exo when trimming the hooves of our sheep."

Poor reports, "As farmers become more aware of the benefits, as the costs continue to come down, and as manufacturers respond more to the specific needs of agricultural tasks, we can likely expect to see more exos down on the farm."