Online order picking and grocery delivery require significant physical endurance from employees. Throughout the working day, employees constantly move between retail and warehouse areas, handle products of different weights, perform repeated squats, and climb stairs while making deliveries.

For e-grocery businesses, this workload is an important operational factor, as employees’ physical condition is directly linked to their ability to maintain a consistent pace of order fulfillment.

One technological solution for supporting employees is robotic Hypershell exoskeletons. The ZAKAZ.UA team tested wearable robotics in their regular working environment, evaluating the technology’s impact on physical workload, endurance, and employee well-being.

Physical Workload in E-Grocery: Which Tasks Require Additional Support?

Online retail operations combine order picking, product handling, and last-mile delivery. Each stage involves repeated physical movements that accumulate throughout a working shift.

In particular, employees may perform up to 100 squats and handle a combined load of up to 300 kg per shift. In addition, constant movement between functional areas involves significant distances that employees cover on foot.

Deliveries in multi-story buildings present another challenge. Couriers may climb up to 50 floors during a day without using an elevator. Under these conditions, lower-limb strain and overall physical fatigue become significant factors in daily work.

For businesses, this creates a need for technologies that can help employees manage repetitive physical tasks and maintain their ability to work throughout the shift.

Hypershell Exoskeleton Testing by the ZAKAZ.UA Team

To evaluate the capabilities of wearable robotics, ZAKAZ.UA employees tested Hypershell exoskeletons while performing their regular work tasks.

Unlike laboratory testing, the trial took place in a familiar working environment, where employees performed typical order-picking and delivery operations.

Participants evaluated how using the exoskeletons affected their perceived physical workload during:

  • prolonged movement between work areas;
  • repeated squats while handling products;
  • tasks involving the movement of loads;
  • climbing stairs during deliveries;
  • maintaining their working pace throughout the shift.

During the testing, employees covered dozens of kilometers throughout the day. This made it possible to evaluate the technology under conditions of prolonged physical activity typical of online retail and delivery operations.

Testing Results: Reduced Perceived Physical Strain

Following the trials, ZAKAZ.UA employees reported a positive impact of Hypershell exoskeletons on the comfort of performing repetitive physical tasks.

The most noticeable changes concerned perceived strain on the back and knees during squats and product handling. According to participant feedback, the exoskeletons provided noticeable support that made physically demanding operations easier to perform.

Employees also specifically evaluated Hypershell when climbing stairs.

According to the subjective assessments of ZAKAZ.UA employees, using the exoskeletons reduced the perceived strain of climbing stairs by up to 50%.

This result is particularly relevant for couriers who regularly deliver orders to apartments in multi-story buildings. During power outages, when elevators are unavailable, the physical demands of delivery increase further.

It is important to note that this figure is based on participant feedback rather than instrumental measurement of biomechanical load.

Overall, the ZAKAZ.UA experience demonstrated the practical value of wearable robotics as a tool for supporting employees’ physical capabilities during regular operations.

The Potential of Hypershell for Logistics, Retail, and Delivery

The testing results demonstrate the potential of exoskeletons in business processes where employees perform a significant amount of physical activity throughout their shifts.

For e-grocery and retail businesses, these technologies may be relevant for order picking, movement between storage areas, and product handling.

In courier delivery, exoskeletons can support employees during prolonged movement and stair climbing, including when elevators are unavailable.

For warehouse and logistics businesses, wearable robotics creates opportunities to provide additional support for employees whose work involves repetitive movement and physical exertion.

At the same time, implementing such solutions requires an assessment of specific work scenarios, equipment operating conditions, and employee comfort. Exoskeletons support physical activity but do not replace specialized lifting equipment or eliminate the need to follow safe practices when performing physically demanding tasks.

Opportunities for Corporate Customers and Technology Partners

The development of wearable robotics is creating a new category of technology solutions for professional use.

For corporate customers, Hypershell exoskeletons can be introduced through pilot projects designed to evaluate employee comfort and the potential for supporting physically demanding workflows.

For system integrators and professional equipment suppliers, the technology creates opportunities to expand their offerings in workplace equipment and personal robotics.

Dealers and specialized retailers can consider Hypershell as an additional product category for customers in retail, logistics, service, and delivery.

The ZAKAZ.UA experience is a practical example of how testing technology directly in the workplace can help identify suitable use cases and define requirements for potential scaling.

Robotics Distribution: Developing Wearable Robotics for Business

Robotics Distribution is the exclusive Hypershell distributor in Ukraine, ranked among Ukraine’s Top 10 IT distributors and part of the international DroneUA group of companies.

The company develops the wearable robotics segment, providing Ukrainian partners with access to Hypershell solutions and expanding opportunities to represent the technology across both consumer and professional markets.

Robotics Distribution is developing its partner network and invites dealers, specialized equipment retailers, system integrators, and companies interested in implementing and distributing Hypershell exoskeletons to cooperate.

To learn more about available partnership models and receive individual cooperation terms, submit a partnership application to Robotics Distribution: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedx1T87kvREM1IKtaH7eNfKbtpJlxltc07WyzZNwZ5IjFujQ/viewform 

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