3. Forces exerted on the user's body

This chapter explains why Laevo thinks it is highly plausible that different types of exoskeletons have large differences in efficiency when it comes to reducing spine compression. There are many more types of exoskeletons, but below we will focus on the soft (also called exosuits) and rigid exoskeletons (such as the Laevo exoskeletons), characterized by:

• Soft: A suit without rigid parts, which typically has a set of shoulder straps and a set of thigh straps, connected by an elastic element that runs vertically along the back of the user.

• Rigid: A suit with rigid parts connecting a torso support (vest, chestpad, shoulder straps, etc.), to a mechanical joint near the side of the hip. On the bottom end, rigid parts connect leg pads to the same joint on the hip.

Let's take a closer look at the locations where they exert force on our bodies and how they differ.