A procurement checklist for industrial exoskeleton pilots, anchored on HeroWear Apex 2 specs, gaps and a clear stance on who should avoid it.
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Checked for sourced parameters, internal links and prohibited claims.
The first sentence of any pilot checklist should be: define the task and the success metric before selecting hardware. A generic top-10 list will not tell you that the Apex 2's 220 N assist force is fixed by elastic bands and task-selectable support, nor that its CE mark alone does not reference ISO 13482 in the supplied data. This spotlight gives procurement and engineering teams a checklist grounded in the Apex 2 dataset, with explicit gaps and a stance on when to walk away.
A pilot program fails when it starts with hardware selection instead of task analysis. The checklist below is ordered by procurement risk, using the Apex 2 as the reference system. Each item names a parameter you can confirm from the dataset or must request from the maker.
The table uses only supplied dataset values. It shows why a pilot checklist must be device-specific: the Cray X is active and connected, while the Apex 2 is passive with no sensors or connectivity.
| Parameter | HeroWear Apex 2 | German Bionic Cray X | Skelex 360 | Comau MATE-XT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive | Passive | Active | Passive | Passive |
| Weight | 1.2 kg | 7.6 kg | 1.6 kg | 4.2 kg |
| Assist force | 220 N | 300 N | 70 N | 100 N |
| Assist torque | 22 Nm | 30 Nm | 12 Nm | 15 Nm |
| Lift support | 20 kg | 30 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg |
| Height range | 150–200 cm | 160–195 cm | 160–195 cm | 155–195 cm |
| User weight | 125 kg | 110 kg | 110 kg | 100 kg |
| Certifications | CE | CE, ISO 13482 | CE | CE, ISO 13482 |
| Standards referenced | Unknown | ISO 13482, EN 614-1 | ISO 13482 | ISO 13482 |
| Warranty | 12 months | Undisclosed | 24 months | Undisclosed |
| Price from (USD) | 1,195 | 9,900 | 4,900 | 5,900 |
| Lead time | 2–4 weeks | 6–10 weeks | Contact maker | 4–8 weeks |
Use the compare tool to put these systems side by side on your own criteria.
The Apex 2 dataset is 94% complete, but the missing 6% matters for a pilot. Three parameters are either unknown or not applicable, and each changes how you plan.
Standards referenced: unknown. The dataset lists CE certification but does not state which harmonised standards the declaration of conformity cites. For a European pilot, CE alone does not prove conformity to ISO 13482—the robot safety standard some buyers expect. You must request the declaration of conformity and check whether ISO 13482 is referenced. Without it, your safety file is incomplete.
Clinical evidence: not applicable. This is a passive industrial exosuit; the dataset records no clinical evidence. A pilot cannot claim injury-prevention efficacy from the datasheet. If your business case depends on reducing musculoskeletal injury rates, you need your own pre/post data, not a vendor claim.
Training and fitting time: not disclosed. The dataset gives no figure for time to fit or train a user. This is a hidden cost: a pilot with 20 users may need a full day of fitter time. Ask the maker for a documented fitting protocol and training duration before budgeting.
Also missing: spare parts pricing and expected service life of the elastic bands. The 12-month warranty is short relative to a multi-year deployment; model replacement cost into the pilot's total cost of ownership.
The $1,195 indicative list price is not the pilot cost. Add fitting and training time (not disclosed), spare elastic bands (price not disclosed), and internal staff time to collect baseline and follow-up metrics. Compare that with the Cray X at $9,900, which includes sensors and connectivity for usage telemetry—useful for a pilot's data collection but heavier at 7.6 kg and with a 6–10 week lead time. The Apex 2's 2–4 week lead time and 1.2 kg weight lower the logistics burden, but the absence of connectivity means your pilot data must be collected manually.
Do not choose the Apex 2 if your pilot's primary goal is to generate auditable usage data or to satisfy a safety case that explicitly requires ISO 13482. The dataset shows no sensors, no connectivity and standards referenced as unknown; the Cray X, by contrast, lists IMU, load sensors and usage telemetry plus ISO 13482 and EN 614-1. If your procurement gate requires a cited standard beyond CE, the Apex 2 is the wrong starting point until HeroWear supplies the declaration. Also avoid it if your workforce includes users above 125 kg or outside 150–200 cm—the dataset gives no alternative size.
The dataset lists CE certification only and records standards referenced as unknown. Request the declaration of conformity from HeroWear to confirm whether ISO 13482 is cited.
12 months, per the dataset. Spare parts pricing and service life are not disclosed.
No—the dataset describes it as a hip-extension assist for bending and lifting, with 20 kg lift support. For overhead work, compare the Skelex 360 or Comau MATE-XT.
Before committing to a pilot, request the Apex 2 declaration of conformity and a written fitting/training protocol from HeroWear. Then compare it against the Cray X on data capture and standards, or contact the ExoSelect selection desk for a checklist tailored to your task.
Official source: HeroWear Apex 2 product page.
Editorial note
This analysis is based on published specifications and named sources. No first-party physical evaluation was performed.
Reviewed by the ExoSelect editorial desk
