Friday, September 27, 2024 
Friday, September 27, 2024
February 5, 2020
Encased in a metal exoskeleton, a construction worker looking like a robot wields a motorized chipper to remove tiles from a wall.
Despite the weight of the tool and its intense vibrations, the worker never tires or loses their grip.
They are a new breed of construction worker in Canada, using wearable machinery to do work faster and with less fatigue.
The hope is this technology will attract younger workers and allow older employees to stay on the job longer, which would benefit an industry facing a labour shortage.
BuildForce Canada, an organization that studies the construction industry and creates labour forecasts, said a quarter of the construction workforce is expected to retire between 2018 and 2027. It will create a demand for 42,000 workers by 2027.
The Canadian Construction Association said baby boomers are retiring and younger people aren’t entering the industry.
An exoskeleton’s frame eases the strain of heavy lifting or repetitive tasks. It protects a person’s joints and muscles from injury.
Many in the industry say the days of workers damaging their bodies to make a buck could soon be over as exoskeletons become more common on construction sites.
Some of the suits work like a lever, using counterweights to lift objects.
The latest version is a fully powered motorized suit that can enhance a user’s strength and stamina.
Deadline for this week in Friday at noon
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