Development and testing of the aerial porter exoskeleton.

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Biomechanics
• Wearable technology

Background:

• Back pain is a major cause of workplace injury and lost productivity globally.
• Back injuries account for 38.5% of days away from work, rising to 43% for manual laborers.
• Repetitive poor lifting techniques are a common cause of back pain for material movers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Aerial Porter Exoskeleton (APEx) as a solution for reducing back strain in material movers.
• To assess the effectiveness of the APEx in assisting with lifting tasks and mitigating injury risks.

Main Methods:

• Development of the APEx: a hip-mounted, powered exoskeleton with an adjustable vest and onboard computer for activity recognition.
• Integration of a novel lumbar brace to assist lift form and provide hip torque.
• Experimental testing involving participants performing lifting tasks with and without the APEx.

Main Results:

• The APEx delivers 30 Nm of torque during lifts.
• The activity recognition algorithm demonstrated 95% accuracy.
• Subjects wearing the APEx showed average peak reductions of 14.9% in heart rate (BPM), 8% in oxygen consumption (VO2), and 8% in perceived effort.

Conclusions:

• The APEx effectively reduces physiological and perceived exertion during lifting tasks.
• The powered exoskeleton shows promise in mitigating workplace back injuries for material movers.
• Further research and implementation of the APEx could significantly improve worker safety and productivity.