Does a Soft Actuated Back Exosuit Influence Multimodal Physiological Measurements and User Perception During an...

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Soft active exosuits show potential for reducing musculoskeletal injury risk during physically demanding workplace tasks.
• Existing exosuit designs often prioritize biomechanical efficiency over user comfort and perception.
• A comprehensive evaluation requires assessing both physiological responses and subjective user experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel soft active exosuit designed for repetitive lifting tasks.
• To evaluate the exosuit's impact on physiological measures (muscle activity, metabolic cost, heart rate, skin temperature).
• To assess subjective user perceptions, including exertion, task load, and device acceptability.

Main Methods:

• Four healthy participants performed repetitive lifting tasks with and without the novel soft active exosuit.
• Exosuit assistance was proportional to the lumbar flexion angle, measured via an inertial measurement unit.
• Multimodal physiological data and subjective feedback were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• All participants reported a reduced perceived task load when using the exosuit.
• Three participants exhibited decreased erector spinae muscle activity.
• Two participants showed reductions in metabolic cost and heart rate reserve, with similar trends in skin temperature.

Conclusions:

• The novel soft active exosuit positively impacted subjective task load perception.
• User-dependent responses in physiological measures highlight the need for personalized exosuit design.
• Future workplace exosuit development should integrate both physiological and subjective assessments for comprehensive evaluation.