--- title: "This Airline Is Testing Powered Exoskeletons For Luggage Workers" description: "U.S. airline Delta is partnering with Sarcos Robotics to test out if its Guardian XO exosuits can give its employees a hand with lifting heavy things." date: "2020-01-08" modified: "2020-01-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/airline-testing-powered-exoskeletons-luggage-workers" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "delta airlines" - "exoskeleton" - "sarcos" - "the digest" --- # This Airline Is Testing Powered Exoskeletons For Luggage Workers ![U.S. airline Delta is partnering with Sarcos Robotics to test out if its Guardian XO exosuits can give its employees a hand with lifting heavy things.]() *\Image: Sarcos Robotics\* ## Airport Exosuit U.S. airline Delta [is partnering]() with Utah-based exoskeleton company Sarcos Robotics to test whether its powered suits can help employees at lifting luggage and other repetitive tasks. "We owe it to the best airline employees on the planet to explore how emerging technology can make their jobs safer and easier," said Gareth Joyce, Delta’s senior VP, in [a statement](). A video shows it hefting packages at CES. https://twitter.com/mspoonauer/status/1214677374563782656 ## Lift Heavy The company says its Guardian XO exoskeleton can enable users to lift 200 pounds (90 kg) for up to eight hours at a time without risking work injuries or fatigue. Workers can take the suit on and off in just 30 seconds. In addition to the luggage video, Delta is planning to test the suit in roles that handle freight warehouses, move maintenance components, or lift heavy machinery and parts with the exoskeleton. According to Delta, the suit could also level the playing field by giving a more diverse talent pool the opportunity to fill in roles that have substantial strength requirements. ## Deployment It's not the first time we've heard of the Guardian XO. The suit [made headlines]() in March when Sarcos Robotics announced that it's [been awarded]() a contract by United States Special Operations Command. Delta is looking to deploy a Guardian XO suit in the next couple of months to give employees an idea of what it can do. **READ MORE:** [Screw packing light. Delta’s exoskeleton crew could lift your luggage with ease]() \[*Digital Trends*\] **More on the suit:** *[The U.S. Military is Buying a Brutal-Looking Powered Exoskeleton]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()