Effects of using a whole-body powered exoskeleton during simulated occupational load-handling tasks: A pilot study

This study assessed the effects of WB-PEXO use on back and leg muscle activities during lab-based simulations of load handling tasks. Six participants (4M, 2F) completed two such tasks (load carriage and stationary load transfer), both with and without a WB-PEXO, and with a range of load masses in each task. WB-PEXO use reduced median levels of muscle activity in the back (∼42-53% in thoracic and ∼24-43% in lumbar regions) and legs (∼41-63% in knee flexors and extensors), and mainly when handling loads beyond low-moderate levels (10-15 kg). Overall, using the WB-PEXO also reduced inter-individual variance (smaller SD) in muscle activities. Future work should examine diverse users, focus on finding effective matches between WB-PEXO use and specific tasks, and identify applications in varied work environments.PMID:34563748 | DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103589
Source: Applied Ergonomics - Category: Occupational Health Authors: Source Type: research