Iron Man 1 came out in 2008, and we still don’t have the ability to fly like Iron Man. It’s terribly sad, but the good news is that we’re getting closer and closer to exoskeletons that make someone almost as strong as a superhero. German Bionic is rolling out their new Apogee ULTRA, which uses adaptive, AI-driven features to make it the most powerful exoskeleton ever.
Aside from the German Bionic Apogee ULTRA just being super cool, there’s much more to get excited about regarding this exoskeleton. For starters, it provides a level of support that means lifting 80 pounds feels like 11 pounds, and walking 10 miles feels like 8 [that’s 36.28kg to 5kg, and 16km to 12.8km for those who don’t use imperial units]. That means a worker using one of these can lift a lot more for a lot longer and spend more time on their feet covering more ground.
The benefits of the Apogee ULTRA extend beyond the obvious boost in immediate productivity. German Bionic says that workers using their exoskeleton experience 31% less sick/injured time, improve their mobility, are happier at their jobs, and tend to stick to their jobs for longer. It makes sense—less wear and tear on your body means more longevity and less morning backaches!
Apogee ULTRA is more than just brawn; it has brains, too. There’s AI-driven software that learns the user’s needs, making it easier for the suit to cooperate with the user. This way, the workflow between user and exoskeleton is optimized for maximum benefits, plus no one wants to fight with their super cool robot suit.
The German Bionic Connect app helps quantify how things are going and allows users to easily tweak their settings and tell the software what feels comfortable and what needs adjustment. All this shows is that the concept is really about a partnership between the technology and the user.
Obviously, this has immediate and exciting applications in the world of physical work. There are plenty of times when you need the precision and free thinking that comes from humans, but the brawn of robotics bridges those two quite nicely.
We were able to quickly test the Apogee ULTRA, and it legitimately does change how you lift! The best way to describe it is to imagine the usual advice of “stand like you have a string holding you up by the spine”. The Apogee ULTRA basically acts like the proverbial string, carefully locking you in and gently assisting you for an easier lift.
German Bionics says these are easy to deploy-companies can buy the shoulder harness so each employee has their own for hygiene and fit, and then it’s just a matter of strapping in the waist and leg harnesses. Even with the demo unit, it took them just a few seconds to get us up and running-it’s easy to imagine anyone trained with it can slip in and out quite quickly!
This is fascinating technology that could easily spread to other areas of mobility and functional movement, and it’s very cool to see concepts like this going from science fiction to reality! It’s very easy to immediately jump to this being helpful in warehouse work, etc., but the company also highlights that it can be extremely helpful with home healthcare. One nurse or aide wearing an Apogee ULTRA could easily lift a patient safely.
Here’s a demo at CES 2025:
The Apogee ULTRA is available now, though pricing is dependent on a few factors. The company says they sell the vest portion for around £250, and they indicated companies usually rent the actually exoskeleton hardware for around £350 per unit per month. Unfortunately, we’re still a few years away from an exoskeleton to help you shovel your driveway!
Wow, how advanced is the German Bionic Apogee ULTRA? So nice to see technology being able to help humanity.
I really look forward to further advances with exoskeletons.
I would find this useful for gardening. But I’m afraid the price will be exorbitant.