The human aspect of exoskeletons – Minerva Pillai on the future of work

Coming home from a hard day’s work and still feeling fresh? That is not just a far-out fantasy anymore. In this episode of Taste of Bionics, host Ranga Yogeshwar speaks with Minerva Pillai. She’s a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a Co-founders of SUITX – a startup spun out of UC Berkeley’s Human Engineering & Robotics Lab. Today she is Head of Development in North America for SUITX BY OTTOBOCK, a market leader in industrial exoskeletons that are designed to reduce workplace strain and injuries. Minerva shares her insights as a key driver in translating innovations from academic research into market-ready applications. Together, they explore the challenges that come with researching at the intersection of biomechanics, robotics, ergonomics, and global health technology. Tune in to discover how technology, resilience, and curiosity can redefine what it means to be human and why Ottobock is at the forefront of enabling that future.