Össur and Italian automation company Comau have announced a joint investment in IUVO, a spin-off group of the BioRobotics Institute that focuses on wearable technologies, including exoskeletons, according to a press release.
Founded in 2015 by professors and researchers from the BioRobotics Institute in Pisa, Italy, the goal of IUVO is to build on the achievements of national and European research projects, such as the FP7 ICT CYBERLEGs. Össur and Comau are majority shareholders in IUVO.
“This joint venture represents a key step toward the creation of wearable robotic exoskeletons that can enhance human mobility and quality of life,” Mauro Fenzi, chief executive officer of Comau, said in the release. “By uniting the know-how and enabling technologies of the various partners, we are in a unique position to extend the use of robotics beyond manufacturing and toward a truly progressive global reality. I believe the differentiating factor of a project like IUVO is the combination of Comau’s automation skills and Össur’s extensive experience in bionics and bracing to enable the production, such as exoskeletons, and to be able to demonstrate the benefits of robotics.”
According to the release, the focus of the joint venture will be research and the development of new wearable technologies. The group’s headquarters will be inside the Comau HUMANufacturing Innovation Center in Pisa.
“The combination of world-class talent, new ideas, advanced robotics and biomedical expertise bodes well for this new venture,” Thorvaldur Ingvarsson, MD, executive vice president of research and development for Össur, said in the release. “I am convinced that the development of intelligent and adaptive wearable technologies will help shape a better future.”
References:
