A comprehensive assessment of a passive back support exoskeleton for load handling assistance.

ABSTRACT: Various back support exoskeletons (BSEs) have been developed to reduce the workload and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. However, the evaluations of such devices have primarily focused on specific quantitative aspects like muscle activation level or metabolic cost without any assessment of the user perception or comfort. In addition, the absence of an universal guidance or agreement on the methods for quantifying the efficacy of exoskeletons has hampered a systematic comparison among the developed devices. This study introduces a newly developed passive BSE for heavy load handling workers, and verifies its assistive effect through a rigorous and multifaceted evaluation. Fifteen young and healthy males participated in two experiment sessions. In the first session, participants lifted

SUBMITTER: Ahn J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11785785 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature