Wearable exoskeletons have moved past the stage of theatrical demos, and the evidence accumulating from real-world deployments is more encouraging than the field's early reputation suggested.

Used in warehouses, manufacturing and rehabilitation, the devices are showing noticeable reductions in fatigue and measurable gains in productivity for tasks that are repetitive, heavy or ergonomically awkward.

The engineering problem is not actuation but control. A suit must assist without taking over, which means inferring intent from limited signals and resisting the small errors that accumulate over a full shift.

Cost remains the obstacle to wider adoption, and the current devices remain far too expensive for ordinary use outside industrial and clinical settings.