Yes, that’s right, future Renault factory workers of the near future will wear exoskeletons to boost their strength
Renault has released a video detailing how it wants to evolve its car building business in the near future by digitizing more of the process. Everything from the ordering process to building the car will be controlled through apps and the process will be visible to everybody in real time – the end goal is “fully traceable production” which the automaker says will “ensure the quality of its vehicles and to maintain the competitive advantage of its production system.”
Something of the sort is already at work in Renault’s Valladolid plant where they “gave each team leader a tablet for real-time access to production and quality data. This allows them to take action quickly; the photo feature lets them explain a production line problem with pictures and instant messaging facilitates conversations. They can respond immediately without waiting for interventions from the shop floor.”
Customization is already a big part of being a modern automaker, and Renault says it will become increasingly important so much so that it actually wants to allow buyers to order their cars easily from an app, then follow it along its assembly process.
It also wants to introduce exoskeletons for some factory workers who are required to do heavy lifting in order to lessen their workload and also the risk of injury. In fact, Renault is already using exoskeletons in its Cléon factory in France and is also aiming to slim down its car building robots in order to make handling of parts easier and safer too.