Pursuing research-to-standards, education,
and innovation in exo technologies 

Established in 2019, the ASTM International Exo Technology Center of Excellence (ET CoE) is a collaboration between ASTM (and its more than 30,000 members) and consumers, industry, government, healthcare, and academia. The ET CoE seeks to improve the quality of life and participation of all people through accelerating exo technology research, standards, testing, and training.

The ET CoE behaves as an exoskeleton for the global exo community.  It augments, enables, assists, and enhances the exo community through initiatives that include:

• identifying high priority needs and sponsoring research & development (R&D) through our groundbreaking Research to Standards (R2S) framework,

• providing unbiased high value advice and counsel on exo technologies, including standards and those under development around the globe

• developing and delivering education, training, and workforce development products,

• collaborating and partnering with other organizations passionate about exo technologies,

• testing and evaluating exemplar products, processes, and laboratories to establish a trusted network of testing and certification organizations,

• connecting people and organizations to promote innovation and collaboration,

• providing a neutral venue for stakeholder groups to discuss common challenges,

• curating and sharing knowledge, and

• promoting exo technology through various outreach mechanisms.

Our Vision

People of all ages free to pursue high-quality life and participate fully in work and society thanks to safe and reliable exo technologies.

Our Mission

The ET CoE’s mission is to accelerate exo technology research, standards, testing, and training.

Leadership

By attracting the world’s top exoskeleton experts who have a passion to serve the entire exo community, the ET CoE is structured to strategically support all stakeholders, including government, industry, healthcare, and more.

Management

A world-class team coordinates the day-to-day management of each function of the ET CoE and ensures activity alignment with ET CoE ojectives.

Our Partners

Collaborative Partners

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES)

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), founded in 1957, is the world’s largest scientific association for human factors/ergonomics professionals. HFES serves the needs of members and the public by promoting and advancing the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems, products, tools, and environments of all kinds.

Goals of ASTM and HFES partnership:

1. Promote communication between the two organizations,

2. Promote knowledge of the ASTM standards and the benefits of ASTM membership to HFES members,

3. Promote knowledge of HFES and benefits of HFES membership to ASTM members,

4. Increase expert input into the development of ASTM exo technology standards and other areas of common interest from HFES,

5. Pursue safe and reliable exo technologies through awareness and education activities such as workshops, symposia, training events, and conferences.

National Safety Council (NSC)

The National Safety Council (NSC) is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 100 years. As a mission-based organization, it works to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. NSC creates a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

Goals of ASTM and NSC partnership:

1. Promote communication between the two organizations;

2. Promote knowledge of the ASTM standards and benefits of ASTM membership to NSC members;

3. Promote knowledge of NSC and benefits of NSC membership to ASTM members;

4. Increase expert input into the development of ASTM exo, robotics, automation, and autonomous system standards and other areas of common interest from NSC; and

5. Pursue safe and reliable exo, robotics, automation and autonomous systems technologies through awareness and education activities such as workshops, symposia, training events, and conferences.

South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA)

Chartered in 1983 by the State of South Carolina as a public, nonprofit corporation,

South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy through the impact of its four programs. SC Academic Innovations (SCAI) provides funding and support to advance multi-institutional, translational research, and accelerate the growth of university-based startups. SC Facilities (SCF) offers high- quality laboratory and administrative workspaces for technology-based startups and academic institutions. SC Industry Solutions (SCIS) facilitates and funds partnerships between and among startups, industry, and academia. SC Launch (SCL) mentors and funds technology-based startups that may also receive investments from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch, Inc.

Research Partners

U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established NIOSH as a research agency focused on the study of worker safety and health, and empowering employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces. NIOSH is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH has the mandate to assure “every man and woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.” NIOSH has more than 1,300 employees from a diverse set of fields including epidemiology, medicine, nursing, industrial hygiene, safety, psychology, chemistry, statistics, economics, and many branches of engineering.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was founded in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST is one of the nation’s oldest physical science laboratories. Congress established the agency to remove a major challenge to U.S. industrial competitiveness at the time—a secondrate measurement infrastructure that lagged the capabilities of the United Kingdom, Germany, and other economic rivals.

From the smart electric power grid and electronic health records to atomic clocks, advanced nanomaterials, and computer chips, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Today, NIST measurements support the smallest of technologies to the largest and most complex of humanmade creations—from nanoscale devices so tiny that tens of thousands can fit on the end of a single human hair up to earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and global communication networks.

Smart HLPR

Roger Bostelman, Ph.D. formed Smart HLPR LLC in 2018 to contract to government and other organizations upon retiring from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Currently, Smart HLPR is an ET CoE Research Partner assisting with Research-to-Standards projects.

Education and Workforce Development Partners

Automotive Exoskeleton Group (AExG)

AExG is a Wearable Robotics Association sponsored and industry-inclusive group that supports the evolution of exoskeletons for industry. It began with members from the automotive industry but has since expanded to include members from other industries, exoskeleton producers, and other interested stakeholders. Its vision is to promote quality of life through wearable technologies. AExG works create a forum where the exoskeleton community may openly exchange information.

Boston Engineering Corporation

Boston Engineering Corporation (Boston Engineering) provides product design and engineering consulting throughout the entire product development process, from concept through connected product capabilities. Certified for ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, the company’s industry expertise includes defense & security, medical devices, robotics, and commercial products. Founded in 1995, Boston Engineering is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Since 2018, Boston Engineering has been serving as DEVCOM SC’s third-party independent engineering analysis agent under an “Other Transaction Authority” agreement from the Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Grounds (ACC APG).

LiUNA TriFund

The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) is a powerhouse of workers who help build the United States and Canada. A half-million strong, LiUNA provides the opportunity to earn a living wage, receive benefits, including health care and pensions, and attend life-long education and training for career advancement and better lives. LiUNA members are the first on the job and the last to leave, possessing a wide range of skill sets covering new building construction, demolition and deconstruction, environmental remediation, renewable energy, and all areas of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, dams, and utilities. They are certified to install rainwater catchment systems and trained to build water and sewer systems, solar plants, wind farms, natural gas and oil pipelines, while also performing maintenance and decommissioning of nuclear and coal powered facilities.

Playing a critical role in achieving these opportunities are LIUNA’s TRI-Funds: LIUNA Training and Education Fund (LIUNA Training), the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), and the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA). Each provide a labor-management approach to training, marketing, and health and safety programs.

LIUNA Training provides accredited curriculum and instructor training, registered apprenticeship, standards development, and portable industry credentials to a North American network of world-class training centers. The LHSFNA ensures workers are safe on the job and at home while providing expertise to ensure the best healthcare benefits in the industry. LECET keeps the vision of labor-management cooperation by providing a competitive edge in tracking work opportunities. The TRI-Funds’ goals are to ensure LIUNA’s journey-workers and apprentices remain a skilled, safe, and productive experienced union workforce, enabling union contractors to gain more work by bringing projects in on time and on budget.

U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC)

DEVCOM SC ensures the dominance of Army capabilities by creating, integrating, and delivering technology-enabled solutions to our soldiers. Soldier Center follows a simple mandate: to ensure that American soldiers are the best fed, the best protected, and the most highly mobile military in the world.

The U.S. Army has provided modern Soldiers with greater capability than has existed at any time in the history of warfare. The average soldier’s load has doubled since World War II despite efforts to reduce the load, increasing fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries and decreasing soldier readiness. Soldier speed, endurance, and range all decrease with load, and they are also impacted by the nature of many of the required repetitive motion maneuvers. Until now, there have been limited choices in dealing with the effects of load and motion: Carry the load and accept the negative consequences or go without a critical piece or pieces of the Soldier kit. These choices have consequences that impact the effectiveness of Soldiers and can potentially limit options for commanders. The future will call for warfare for even greater maneuvering in dense urban terrain, subterranean and vertical, and over 72-hour operations carrying only organic supplies, as well as experiencing complex maneuver operations.

The Army is interested in exoskeleton technology to assist in addressing the soldiers’ physical and cognitive load challenges to improve their readiness and operational effectiveness. Due to advancements in technology and large investments from industry, exoskeleton technology has the potential to provide a significant advantage for warfighters. Many organizations, including the Program Executive Office Soldier, the Maneuver Center of Excellence, and collaborations with the Special Operations Command, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force are working to investigate and eventually deploy such devices.