South Korea - The companies have recently demonstrated the use of the Hyundai chairless exoskeleton (H-CEX), and now plans on testing the Hyundai vest exoskeleton (H-VEX) technology. These could then be used at plants across North America before the end of 2018.

"The field of robotics has the potential to usher in a new era in our industry," suggested Youngcho Chi, executive vice president of strategy & technology division and chief innovation officer at Hyundai. "The possibilities for the technology are endless – from future mobility solutions and industrial productivity aids to vital military applications, we think the future is better with robots. The huge collective experience within the Hyundai Motor Group will facilitate rapid progress in the coming years. We are excited about current developments, and very optimistic for the use of this technology to improve lives around the globe."

The H-CEX technology weighs 1.6kg and can withstand weights of up to 150kg, while the H-VEX makes overhead tasks far easier. Hyundai says it is also working on other wearable technologies, and recently started investing in the US-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology start-up Perceptive Automata as well as DeepGlint - an AI specialist in China.

Various other carmakers are also looking to increase their usage of wearable technologies. Ford, for example, recently said it was rolling out exoskeletal technology in various plants across the world, and that it had started testing body tracking technology in order to improve the efficiency of workers.

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