FIGUR8, Parker Hannifin partner to improve musculoskeletal health

FIGUR8 and the Quick Coupling Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation announced a partnership for the deployment of the MIT spin-off’s breakthrough musculoskeletal technology system in select Parker manufacturing facilities. Parker, a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies, provides precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of industrial and aerospace markets.

With more than 54,000 team members and locations in 45 countries and more than 315 manufacturing sites globally, one of Parker’s primary goals is to continuously improve safety performance and achieve zero injuries across the organization. The partnership brings the next generation of accessible, objective musculoskeletal health assessment information to the workplace.

“More than 1.7 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions, and work-related musculoskeletal problems are among the most prevalent of occupational disorders worldwide,” says Nan-Wei Gong, co-founder and CEO of FIGUR8. “Parker’s Quick Coupling Division is tackling this challenge head on by implementing solutions for the intervention and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Parker brings a proactive approach to the management of employee safety, health and risk that reflects the company’s deep commitment to responsible operations.”

The partnership builds on the two companies’ continued innovations in engineering solutions that advance musculoskeletal health. Parker’s electroactive polymer (EAP) sensors and FlexSense sensing technology are helping revolutionize the measurement of human body movement.

“Safety is our highest priority, and we are deeply engaged in the continuous identification and implementation of solutions that create a safety-first workplace for team members,” says Jason Manning, manager of environmental, health & safety, Parker Quick Coupling Division. “With FIGUR8’s breakthrough musculoskeletal technology, we recognized an opportunity to further add to our range of safety-first initiatives – from equipment safety to employee health – to provide a safe and engaging work environment.”

FIGUR8’s technology is in deployments across major health systems, employers and government organizations nationwide to help reduce and prevent the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. With the lack of codified, accurate and objective data for musculoskeletal conditions being one of the biggest industry challenges to date, FIGUR8’s ability to enable precision analytics has made its technology an indispensable tool (before MRI) to support the diagnostic and treatment decisions regarding musculoskeletal conditions.

FIGUR8’s advanced MSK assessment solution – developed over years of R&D by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians – enables a full musculoskeletal and orthopedic assessment to be conducted in minutes by anyone, anywhere, regardless of technical or clinical expertise. In less than 15 minutes, the FIGUR8 solution can deliver data on key musculoskeletal biomarkers – including range of motion, movement quality, strength, and functional mobility – in order to create an individualized and precise plan of care.