Dynamic and Static Assistive Strategies for a Tailored Occupational Back-Support Exoskeleton: Assessment on Real...

Area of Science:

• Occupational health and safety
• Biomechanics
• Human-robot interaction

Background:

• Manual material handling (MMH) poses risks for back injuries in industries like railways.
• Back-support exoskeletons are developed to mitigate these risks.
• Evaluating active versus passive exoskeleton performance in realistic scenarios is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of an active exoskeleton against a passive one for occupational back support.
• To evaluate exoskeleton performance during realistic static and dynamic manual material handling tasks.
• To assess the impact on back muscle activation and trunk mobility.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory evaluation of expert railway workers performing static and dynamic MMH tasks with 20 kg loads.
• Comparison of three conditions: no exoskeleton, passive exoskeleton (Laevo v2.56), and active exoskeleton (StreamEXO).
• Utilized Model-based Gravity Compensation (MB-Grav) for static task control strategy.

Main Results:

• Both active and passive exoskeletons reduced back muscle activation.
• The active exoskeleton demonstrated significantly greater reduction (26-33%) compared to the passive exoskeleton (9-11%).
• The passive exoskeleton restricted trunk mobility more than the active device.

Conclusions:

• Active back-support exoskeletons offer superior benefits over passive systems in reducing back muscle strain during MMH.
• The active exoskeleton (StreamEXO) shows potential for enhancing worker safety and comfort in demanding occupational environments.
• Further research into active exoskeleton control strategies and long-term effects is warranted.