The Support Skeleton is an assistant exoskeleton designed to improve back posture and reduce stress on the spine. The reducsd stress decreases the chance of critical nerve damage and chronic back pain. It has been developed to augment the user’s movements and reactions by shifting the weight from their spine to their legs. The Support Skeleton is designed to assist the user when transporting heavy loads. The device functions by utilizing a series of plywood cuts designed to conform to your spinal column which are pressed against your back to help back posture. While increasing healthy back posture, the artificial spine also redirects the weight from the users shoulders and back into their legs. In addition,a hip mount is used to redirect the stress from the spine to the hip.

the design for the support system is inspired by the natural curvature of a human spine as well as the organic structures found in nature. The full Support Skeleton consists of two acrylic fins supported by a brace in the center, which is connected to a hip plate via three different connection rods. These rods are manufactured to have a spring component, which pushes the spine support backward, forcing the user to stand up straight as well as channeling the weight through the spine support and into the user’s hips.