The technology will be on display this week at Hort Connections, following initial trials on commercial farms in Tasmania and Queensland, with industry partners hosting on‑farm assessments. Early pilot assessments have seen a 25% total reduction in movement-related injury risk and a 64% risk drop in tray carrying, demonstrating the value for Australian growers already. 

Dr Anthony Kachenko, General Manager of Production & Sustainability R&D at Hort Innovation, explained what this means for industry: “Keeping horticulture workers safe is critical to the long‑term sustainability of our industry. This project gives growers practical, on‑farm evidence about whether exoskeletons can reduce physical strain without disrupting normal operations.”

Scott Waugh, CEO of Exxovantage, said the trials are designed to provide clear guidance for growers: “These trials focus on real conditions, real tasks and real workers. The goal is to give industry practical evidence to support informed decisions about adopting new safety technologies.”

The project is designed to fit around normal farm operations, giving growers evidence from real tasks rather than laboratory testing. AI‑enabled sensors are being used to analyse worker movements, generating task risk scores. This data will help identify where exoskeletons could offer the greatest safety and benefits, and where they may not be practical. In one assessment across 12 commercial horticulture tasks, the task risk reduced by 68% when workers completed the same activity wearing ExxoLift™.

Laurie Adams from Burlington Berries in Tasmania, said being involved in the trial will give them first-hand insight into the potential of exoskeletons, with initial results already showing positive benefits. “As growers, we need practical proof before rolling out new technology. Being part of the trial gives us the chance to see how exoskeletons perform in real farm conditions and whether they can help our team work safely and productively.”

Interested in getting involved?

Exxovantage®, in partnership with Hort Innovation Frontiers, is inviting growers to express their interest in joining a new on‑farm pilot project to trial ExxoLift™, a wearable assistive solution designed to reduce physical strain during manual tasks. Selected growers will have the opportunity to:

Each trial is expected to take two to three months, with growers able to keep the ExxoLift™ exosuits at the end of the trial. A small co‑funding contribution is required from participating growers, with the majority of costs supported by the project and start dates will be confirmed with successful applicants. 

If you, rely on manual labour for repetitive or physically demanding tasks, are interested in improving worker safety and wellbeing, while increasing productivity and are open to trialling new practical solutions on‑farm, please register your interest in joining the pilot, by contacting Scott from Exxovantage at scott@exxovantage.com. 

This project (AS25201) is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from Exxovantage and contributions from the Australian Government.