Episode 11: Industrial Exoskeletons with Marisol Barrero, CPE

Welcome back to the Exoskeletons and Wearable Robotics podcast, where we continue our analysis of occupational/industrial wearables for workers from Episode 4 with a very special guest, Marisol Barrero, famous for being one of the first corporate teams to implement shoulder-support exoskeletons at Toyota North America.   

Marisol Barrero is the co-founder and current Board member of the Automotive Exoskeleton Group, which is sponsored by the Wearable Robotics Association. She is a member of the ASTM International F48. Marisol frequently speaks at leading safety and technology conferences, including the Applied Ergonomics Conference, WearRAcon, and the Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit.

Marisol’s extensive experience includes her work as an ergonomics consultant with Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group and Humantech, as well as a researcher with the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). She earned her B.A. and M.S. from Cornell University and has been a Certified Professional Ergonomist since 2006. From 2006 to 2016, Marisol led the development of Toyota Motor North America’s ergonomics systems, encompassing model ergonomics processes, risk assessment tools, training, and auditing. As Regional Ergonomics Manager, she managed a team of ergonomists supporting Toyota’s 15 North American manufacturing facilities.

Marisol holds the Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) credential, is the Global Ergonomics Manager at Vibrantz Technologies Inc., and is the Director of Safety and Applications for the Wearable Robotics Association. 

Major topics:

00:00 Introduction
02:50 Exoskeletons for workers at Toyota
16:58 Are industrial exoskeletons PPE (personal protective equipment)
22:21 The importance of automation and the size of a company
26:42 Lessons from Masterclass: Are You Ready For Exoskeletons
33:45 KPI and ROI of occupational Exoskeletons
40:34 Advice for companies on exo implementation
43:28 Where do you see industrial exoskeleton technology in five years?

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