Based in Anduze, in the Gard department, the SME has just supplied the aeronautics specialist, based in Marignane with his Shiva Exo. A product resulting from three years of R&D, born of a partnership with another major account, the SNCF.
It is entirely mechanical and therefore passive, works without batteries but for the Airbus Helicopters teams in Marignane it is the new tool that will do good.
Called Shiva Exo - we can understand the reference - it is the first product from ErgoSanté.
Well-being at work is one of the subjects taken up by the SME based in Anduze in the Gard, which has become a player in maintaining and improving working conditions. Born in 2013, the company founded and managed by Samuel Corgne designs and provides solutions designed for both able-bodied and disabled workers.
It all started with an innovation partnership with the SNCF two years ago, when the French railway company was asked to invent an exoskeleton that would meet its needs. " The SNCF was not necessarily satisfied with the state of the art," explains Samuel Corgne. " So we started from the need" to create a tailor-made tool. At the end of this partnership, which enabled the SME to demonstrate its capacity to innovate, ErgoSanté had the opportunity to open up to other customers. Except that the helicopter designer based in Marignane had followed the project from its beginnings. So much so, that today it has acquired a first model for a test phase, which could lead to a larger order.
Man preserved, not augmented
"Shiva Exo is not a toy, we have more important ambitions. It is a prevention tool," says the director, who stresses that "the needs in this area are great. Above all, ErgoSanté "responds to needs and not to a fantasy. The exoskeleton that we have designed is the preserved man, not the augmented man".
Shiva Exo is structured to prevent trauma to the shoulder, back and elbow. Mechanical stress and weight are redirected towards the hips without passing through the upper body.
Swiss Army Knife
"Our problem is to have the manufacturing capacity while retaining the flexibility to adapt to each demand," says Samuel Corgne. Especially as the exoskeleton market is expected to reach $2.8 billion by 2023. "We want to be a stakeholder in this market. A market divided into four categories: the general public, industrial, medical and military. Each has a number of players already positioned, with industrial and medical being the most sought after.
"We are positioned in the industrial sector and more precisely in the field of arm, back and leg assistance and tool support. ErgoSanté wants to differentiate itself by not being tied to a single use. "All exoskeletons are single-task. Onthe contrary, we wanted to develop an exoskeleton that is a Swiss Army knife, which can be adapted to each need. This is precisely what convinced Airbus Helicopters.
Technically, Shiva Exo is the result of 3D printing combined with machining. Made of 90% composites, it claims lightness and durability. ErgoSanté has 12 branches in France and has a turnover of €4.4 million.
By Laurence Bottero for La Tribune Provence-alpes-côte-d'azur