With the diversification of working styles, such as working from home and staggered working hours, more and more employees are calling for offices to be made more flexible. However, there are also people used to traditional office work who feel concerned and reluctant toward flexible office spaces due to issues such as communication, securing seats, access to necessary equipment, and attendance management. Murata has been working on the development of a system that not only solves these problems, but also realizes a more comfortable office space. For this article we interviewed Niwa and Omura, who are responsible for the design, development, and operation of the system, as well as Toda, who requested its development and is also a user. The three talk about what motivated the development, the challenges they faced, the benefits seen after its implementation, and their future hopes for the system.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMDM1MTAwLWltZy0wMDAxLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />From right to left: Niwa, Omura, and TodaNiwa: Responsible for the product technology of the seating management system. Omura: Product technology assistant. Toda: In charge of new business planning in the department that requested the development of the seating management system.<h2>The motivation behind creating a flexible office space</h2>What motivated Murata to create a flexible office space?Niwa: After the COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in people working from home, Murata identified the need to review the way in which office seating was being used and manage seating more efficiently. Increased remote working also caused the issue of carrying out effective communication within the organization, leading to the desire to incorporate measures such as seating arrangements as ways of improving communication.What specific problems were there, and what kind of requests did you receive?Niwa: There are cases where there are multiple departments on one floor, depending on the range of responsibilities and market. These departments wished to change the seating layout, with the intention of improving cross-departmental connections.Toda: On the floor of the new business department where I work, there were many people who were focused on individual work, and there was no culture of employees talking to each other apart from in meetings. There were few areas for open communication, such as whiteboards and meeting booths, and therefore even minor conversations were conspicuous. Murata had established a policy for creating flexible office spaces, and so we took the opportunity to make changes to the seating layout and address the problems on the floor at the same time.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMDc3MTUwLWltZy0wMDAyICg0KS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /><h2 id="isPasted">The path to hot desking</h2>What kind of efforts have you made to promote hot desking?Toda: Before changing the seating layout, we first gathered information on the following: ・The work style and culture on the floor that the department manager (management level) is aiming for ・The needs that have become apparent for employees on the floor. After reviewing the opinions that we received, it became evident that communication was lacking not only between different departments, but also within departments, and we concluded that we needed a seating layout that would stimulate communication. Moreover, while communication is important, we could not ignore the need for an environment in which one can concentrate on one's work, so we became aware that we needed a creative solution for assigning seats.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMDgzMjM3LWltZy0wMDAzICg0KS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />What kind of concept did you settle upon for the seating layout?Omura: For general affairs and admin, a phone is necessary. Meanwhile, departments that specialize in development must have their own PCs, and they may require multiple monitor setups. The seating layout concept therefore took into account the need for such equipment.Toda: A floor that achieves a good balance between communication and concentration. We felt that it was important to reduce the psychological barriers to casual conversation by establishing an area that promotes communication and allows you to flexibly change location depending on the kind of work you are doing. We also identified that people tend to fall into one of three categories: people who need a permanent seat, people who are completely comfortable hot desking, and people who want to stay together in a team. In particular, some managers expressed the desire to work in a group, as they were concerned that hot desking would disperse staff who had been used to working together in fixed seating, resulting in less communication.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMDk0ODE4LWltZy0wMDA0ICg0KS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /><h2 id="isPasted">The need for a seating management system in hot desking</h2>In what situations is a seating management system necessary?Niwa: A common occurrence when trying to secure a seat in a flexible office space is that you can't tell which seats are available. This also makes it difficult for superiors and managers to monitor who is at work, and where they are seated. This is an issue in terms of disaster prevention and safety management. Therefore, we felt the need for a system that makes it possible to manage the attendance of employees and the floor/seat where they are located.Omura: On the floor that has been turned into a flexible office space, visitors from other departments found it difficult to find where the person they are visiting is seated. One solution would be to put nameplates on desks, but there are disadvantages as people often forget to display/remove them, and they are difficult to read from a distance. The best way to solve these problems is with a seating management system.<h2>Introducing the Pifaa Seating Management System for flexible office spaces</h2>What is the Pifaa Seating Management System?Niwa: The most distinctive thing is that you can operate it with an employee ID card. All you need to do is hold your ID up to the reader when entering the room and entry is complete. As the system can be operated with an employee ID card, it can be used even on floors where camera-equipped devices such as smartphones are prohibited. You can also check seat availability and secure a seat on entering, or reserve a seat from your PC. Furthermore, as the system makes it possible to see the usage rate of seats, this information can be used to change the seating layout based on usage rate.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTA5MzAwLWltZy0wMDA1ICgzKS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Employee ID touch screenOmura: You can also search for where employees are seated by simply entering their name or department code. This means that visitors to the floor won't get lost.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTI2NTYwLWltZy0wMDA2ICgxKS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Name search screenHow did you create the floor maps?Omura: In most cases, people make floor maps themselves using apps, etc., but this becomes a very complicated task when trying to establish partial fixed seating and hot desking. With the Pifaa Seating Management System at Murata, we got people from each floor to provide us with simple floor maps which we then used to create floor maps that are visually easy to interpret, and incorporated them into the system together with the detailed requirements that were requested.A number of different sensors can be used with the Pifaa Seating Management System. What benefits do you think this will bring?Omura: Pifaa's sensors include environmental sensors that can measure temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, illuminance sensors that can measure brightness, and sound sensors that can measure sound pressure. The data from these sensors can be viewed on-screen when selecting a seat. This allows you to pick a seat in an environment that suits you. You can also use the sensor data to understand the usage rate of a specific area, such as a concentration area, communication area, or co-working space. The environmental information revealed by this quantified data can not only be used when selecting seats, it can also be used to visualize areas that are under-utilized and when reviewing soundproofing and air-conditioning.Niwa: When introducing hot desking, it is common to establish various distinct areas, but the important point is whether or not they are being used as intended after going into operation. With Pifaa's sensors, it is possible to measure and visualize usage after going into operation. The layout of fixtures and seating can then be reviewed based on the visualization of the usage.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTQyMTE1LWltZy0wMDA3ICgxKS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Temperature sensor data displayed on screen<h2 id="isPasted">Observations after introducing the seating management system</h2>What were the benefits of introducing the seating management system?Niwa: Because employees can now choose a seating environment that suits their work style every day, we expect to see improvements in motivation and efficiency. The system has also removed the stresses of not knowing the availability of seats or whether the person you wish to speak to is at work that day. The reservation function has also resolved concerns such as not being able to sit due to a lack of seats. Furthermore, because seating is not fixed, communication and the sharing of information have become more active among staff from different teams and departments.Omura: Even in the case of fixed seating, if seats are vacant due to working from home, etc., those seats can now be used freely. This allows us to be flexible with regard to the number of seats.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTU3MjI5LWltZy0wMDA4LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />What was the reaction from users of the system?Toda: In addition to being able to see the availability of seats and location of others at a glance, one major benefit is being able to gather data on the seating usage rate. In particular, since we are able to understand the daily seat occupancy rate and popular areas, we can base future layout change policies on this.What are the benefits of seating management?Toda: For requirements such as people who need a permanent seat, people who are completely comfortable hot desking, and people who want to stay together in a team, we've made it so that, for instance, only people who need a large PC for crunching numbers can choose permanent seats. We've also made it so that people with fixed seats can also use free seats. The Pifaa Seating Management System enables us to efficiently use the limited resource of seating by managing various conditions such as permanent seats and free seats.What functions have helped to improve communication?Omura: There is a random function. If you select this function, the system randomly assigns seats, preventing people from tending to sit near the same people. Using this function solves the issue of people tending to sit near the same people even in a flexible office space, and not making attempts to engage in more active communication.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTY5NjE2LWltZy0wMDA5ICgxKS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /><h2 id="isPasted">Initiatives to sell the Pifaa Seating Management System to others</h2>The Pifaa Seating Management System was developed by Murata, a manufacturing company, but can it be used in other industries?Niwa: We have received praise regarding Pifaa's ease of use not only internally at Murata, but also from other companies to whom we have already delivered the system. The manufacturing industry in particular tends to have various diverse businesses mingled together on the same floor, including departments that not only use PCs but also various other measuring instruments and tools, departments that develop software, and indirect support departments. Even in these situations, I believe that Pifaa receives high praise because it is possible to select detailed settings according to the type of business.Is there anything that you are paying particular attention to in selling the system to other customers?Niwa: There is no functional difference between the system we use internally and the system that we sell to other customers. However, I believe that much discussion is required before introduction of the system, such as whether it can be operated with the type of employee ID used by the customer, the customer's company network environment, the layout of seats on each floor, etc.<h2>Future hopes for the seating management system</h2>Finally, please tell us about the impact the Pifaa Seating Management System will have on future office environments and future hopes for the Pifaa Seating Management System itself.Niwa: I think that introduction of the Pifaa Seating Management System is the first step toward realizing a smart office (efficient operation of the office). It allows you to make the most of your office space, meeting the demands of diversifying work styles.Toda: I am confident that the Pifaa Seating Management System is a system that will improve the office environment over the medium to long term by combining seat management and sensing technology, and that it is an indispensable solution for realizing the ideal smart office.Omura: The system is not specialized for use in the manufacturing industry, and we plan to expand into other industries. We also assume that the system can be used not just at companies, but also university lecture halls, school study rooms, and libraries, and so that is something that we are also considering.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzM2NzUwMTgxNjIxLWltZy0wMDEwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /><h2 id="isPasted">Summary - Editor's afterword</h2>There are many services that enable office seating management. However, systems using beacons or smartphones tend to be costly to install and cumbersome to operate. The Pifaa Seating Management System uses something that all employees are familiar with, their employee ID card, making it inexpensive to introduce and easy to operate. Furthermore, by utilizing Murata's sensor technology, employees can find the place that suits them best in the communal space of the office. Employees are able to work in an ideal environment and understand each other through communication. It really seems like a solution that will help realize the smart offices of the future.The Pifaa Seating Management System is only available in Japan.The information contained in this article was correct as of the date the article was published. Exact system specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.

For this article we interviewed Niwa and Omura, who are responsible for the design, development, and operation of the system, as well as Toda, who requested its development and is also a user. 

Turning Offices with Hot Desking into the Ideal Space - Case Study of Hot Desking Using the Pifaa Seating Management System

A patient recovering from a limb amputation won’t use a prostheses that isn’t comfortable. A person rehabbing from a stroke won’t use a robotic exoskeleton if the mobility it grants doesn't allow them to perform everyday activities. And a diabetes patient won’t use an insulin pump that doesn’t deliver the appropriate dosage of medicine to control their blood sugar.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729896386001-IMG_8127_0_0.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Human-in-the-loop optimization algorithms could greatly improve human-robot interaction with medical devices like this exosuit, dramatically improving the results for patients. (Harvard Biodesign Lab)All of these challenges fall under a concept known as “human-robot interaction,” a critical issue in robotic design and engineering. A new perspective from researchers at the <a href="https://seas.harvard.edu/">Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a> (SEAS) delves into a potential approach to improve human-robot interaction. The approach, known as “human-in-the-loop optimization” (HILO), explores the potential of combining individual patient data with machine learning algorithms as a way to fine-tune robotic design and improve results for specific performance metrics. Patrick Slade, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS, was first author on the perspective, which was published in Nature.“I hope this perspective can accelerate the development and effectiveness of human-robot interactions when developing robotic systems, especially for medical applications where these systems interact with people,” Slade said. “I’m hopeful that this perspective will encourage researchers to think about humans as complex, challenging systems to design for. HILO can be a tool to maximize the effectiveness of devices that interact with people.”The idea of human-in-the-loop optimization has been around for about 7 years, Slade said, but has yet to be fully adopted into the robotic engineering space. Because every human is different, human-robot interaction is a very difficult concept to predict and design for, which can slow down innovation in the field.“Working with these populations and devices for a while, I’ve seen that when people are introduced to a new device, their conceptions of the device, what they want and how they might use it, change as they get used to it,” he said. “It’s a moving target with dual challenges, where you need them to understand and adapt with the device, and you also want to provide them with something that provides a benefit to the user and is acceptable for regular use. HILO can help inform what the human-robot interaction should be to improve whatever human-robot metric is important to that population. Knowing what effective human-robot interaction is needed, for example, what torque to provide with an ankle exoskeleton to help people post-stroke to walk more quickly and efficiently, can inform the development of effective devices. HILO can also maximize performance of an existing commercial device by systematically tuning how that device interacts with the user. We’ve seen an optimized assistance double the benefits compared to a generic controller for an ankle exoskeleton device, showing HILO can have a big impact on patient outcomes without even changing the device hardware."<blockquote>One challenge in the field of robotics is that people often get treated as robots.Patrick Slade, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS</blockquote>Though called an optimization algorithm, Slade described it as closer to a “personalization” algorithm, in that it uses personal data to optimize the device to the individual patient. And because it’s based on machine learning algorithms, the optimal adjustments can be found quickly and without an engineer needing to pour through multiple potential designs.“One challenge in the field of robotics is that people often get treated as robots,” Slade said. “People are complex and often don’t respond to robotic assistance in a predictable way. This paper is posing the idea that a lot of our research intuitions on human-robot interaction aren’t great because people are very complex. If we admit that, we can use this systematic approach to optimize assistance and really accelerate the field. Adopting HILO would really accelerate the field, and patients would see more benefits.”Slade envisions HILO as especially valuable in the earliest design stages, when research is still being done in labs as opposed to field testing finished or nearly finished designs. During those early stages, engineers typically test out numerous different designs and functions to try to hone in on one that meets whatever they determine to be the most important performance metrics. Examples of metrics in medical devices, for example, include muscle contraction,fatigue, walking speed, heart rate, blood glucose levels, or other measures of improved mobility.Using HILO algorithms, designers could quickly determine if a design needs to be adjusted based on individual patient data to maximize its benefit.“HILO allows you to identify the meaningful interactions, then build a portable device based on what you’ve learned,” he said. “Rather than building multiple interactions of a portable device, you could do it in a single shot, which could help accelerate the field.”Conversely, Slade’s perspective suggests even late-stage design or products already on the market could still benefit from these optimization algorithms. HILO is similar to getting a glasses prescription, systematically tuning the human-robot interaction to achieve a desired outcome, similar to a new prescription.“You have a device, you optimize the controller, and now you have a more personalized controller and see better benefits,” he said. “We’ve seen from a few studies that existing portable devices can double their performance if you apply HILO. It’s the same hardware – you just update the controller, and all of a sudden your device is twice as effective. That’s exciting. You could spend years developing something, and then all of a sudden double the performance just by systematically tuning the human-robot interaction.”

Human-in-the-loop optimization algorithms could greatly improve human-robot interaction with medical devices like this exosuit, dramatically improving the results for patients. (Harvard Biodesign Lab)

New research touts effectiveness of individual optimization algorithms

Keeping humans in the loop of robotic design

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/3ddb6ef3-e0b1-4983-87ca-84cf2ed8fe2e?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>A set of knee exoskeletons, built with commercially available knee braces and drone motors at the University of Michigan, has been shown to help counteract fatigue in lifting and carrying tasks. They helped users maintain better lifting posture even when tired, a key factor in defending against on-the-job injuries, the researchers say.“Rather than directly bracing the back and giving up on proper lifting form, we strengthen the legs to maintain it,” said <a href="https://gregg.engin.umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Gregg</a>, U-M associate professor of robotics and corresponding author of the study in Science Robotics. “This differs from what’s more commonly done in industry.”Already workers who lift regularly, such as in construction and manufacturing, may use back braces. Back exoskeletons, which use springs or motors to help with lifting, are an emerging technology. But devices supporting the back assume unsafe lifting, or stooping, and back exoskeletons tend to be cumbersome devices that must be deactivated to allow motions that aren’t part of the lifting task, Gregg said.The Michigan team says their knee exoskeletons are the first to support the quadriceps muscles instead, which provide the bulk of the force in safe squat lifting, as a less intrusive way to help protect workers from back injuries. Study participants tested them out with lifting and carrying tasks using a 20 lb kettlebell.The tasks included lifting the weight off the ground and setting it down again, and lifting and carrying the weight on flat ground, up and down an incline, and up and down stairs. The study found that, after becoming fatigued, the participants kept better posture with the help of the exoskeleton, and they also lifted faster—just 1% slower than their pre-fatigued paces, versus 44% slower without the aid of the exoskeletons.&nbsp;“This is especially important when a worker has to keep up with a conveyor belt. Usually, when a worker is fatigued, they’ll keep up with that rate, but with a compromised posture. They’ll bend their back more, and that’s when injuries are most likely,” said Nikhil Divekar, a postdoctoral research fellow in robotics at U-M and first author of the study.&nbsp;The participants felt the benefit, too—they mainly said they were quite or very satisfied, with the exception of walking on level ground, for which they were more or less satisfied. This tracks with the small amount of assistance required by the quadriceps during this relatively easy task; Gregg described it as just enough support to counteract the weight of the exoskeleton.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI3MzkzMDMxNzk5LWtuZWUtZXhvcy12ZXJ0aWNhbC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Emily Keller, a doctoral student in robotics at the Locomotor Control Systems Lab, University of Michigan, demonstrates the knee exoskeletons on the steps outside of the Ford Robotics Building at U-M. Photo: José Montes-Pérez, Robotics, University of MichiganOne of the keys to making the exoskeleton so wearable is the motors and the way that they are geared, which enables users to swing their knees freely for a natural gait. The other is the software, which predicts what kind of assistance the user needs by measuring the angle of the knee joint, the orientations of the thigh and lower leg, and the force picked up by a sensor in the user’s shoe.&nbsp;With these three measurements from both legs, it’s possible to work out what motion the user is trying to do, and how much assistance to give. These measurements were taken 150 times per second, enabling the exos to move seamlessly between activities.&nbsp;This approach is in contrast to many exo controllers, which follow predefined patterns for a limited set of tasks. Switching tasks can be a problem for these controllers, and they may need a full second to figure out what the user is trying to do, Gregg said.“If your exo is trying to walk upstairs, and you’re trying to walk downstairs, that could be a problem, right?” he said.The new controller also pairs a physics model with machine learning, which prevents the exoskeleton from making unexpected moves if the user begins behaving differently than any activity included in the controller’s training data.The lab prototypes cost about $4,000 per pair, so Gregg anticipates that if the exoskeletons were produced at scale, they might cost about $2,000 per pair.The 10 study participants, five women and five men, did all the tasks on two different days, one day fresh and the other fatigued. To induce fatigue, each participant performed a series of squat lifts with the kettlebell until they couldn’t continue without a long break between repetitions. All participants had experience with proper squat lifting techniques.&nbsp;The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.The team has applied for patent protection with the assistance of U-M Innovation Partnerships and is seeking partners to bring the technology to market.Gray Thomas, Avani Yerva and Hannah Frame contributed to the study.Gregg is also an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering.

Helping out the quad muscles kept study participants lifting safely despite fatigue, with an algorithm that smoothly shifts between lifting and carrying tasks.

Human-In-The-Loop Control

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Turning Offices with Hot Desking into the Ideal Space - Case Study of Hot Desking Using the Pifaa Seating Management System

Keeping humans in the loop of robotic design

Versatile knee exo for safer lifting

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