Since November of 2017, Ford Motor Company has been testing EksoVests in two of their plants. As of August 2018, Ford will be distributing 75 vests to employees at 15 plants across the globe. Produced by California robotics company Ekso Bionics, the vests offer passive support for employees on the assembly line. That is, the vests don’t provide any active support for employees using batteries or motors. Instead they use a metal spine to relieve neck, arm, and spine pressure, specifically ratcheting up support for tasks performed above the waist and shoulders.