Davoudi Kakhki, F.; Moghadam, A.; Nieto, A.; Vora, H. Evaluating Efficacy of Passive Occupational Exoskeleton for Enhancing Ergonomic Outcomes in Manufacturing. Preprints2024, 2024051159. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1159.v1
APA Style
Davoudi Kakhki, F., Moghadam, A., Nieto, A., & Vora, H. (2024). Evaluating Efficacy of Passive Occupational Exoskeleton for Enhancing Ergonomic Outcomes in Manufacturing. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1159.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Davoudi Kakhki, F., Arnold Nieto and Hardik Vora. 2024 "Evaluating Efficacy of Passive Occupational Exoskeleton for Enhancing Ergonomic Outcomes in Manufacturing" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1159.v1
Abstract
Manual material handling (MMH) significantly impacts worker health and productivity, often leading to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) primarily in the lower back. As a novel assistive technology, exoskeletons may serve as ergonomic tools to mitigate these work-related MSDs. It is essential to examine exoskeletons from the users’ perspectives before their widespread implementation in occupational settings. This study investigates the effectiveness of a passive back-support exoskeleton (BExo) in reducing perceived physical exertion and improving ergonomic safety in manufacturing context. Twenty-two college students were recruited to perform MMH tasks in a controlled lab environment, both with and without the BExo, followed by completing a survey questionnaire on various aspects of the BExo. Using ANOVA, the study analyzed biomechanical exertion across various body parts and tasks. The findings indicate that the BExo substantially alleviates discomfort in the low back, shoulders and knees, thereby, enhancing ergonomic posture and reducing fatigue. These results underscore the potential of passive exoskeletons to boost workers’ safety and efficiency, providing valuable insights for future ergonomic strategies in industrial setting.
Keywords
Manual material handling; Manufacturing ergonomics; Passive back-support exoskeleton; Occupational health and safety; Musculoskeletal disorder prevention; User acceptance; Ergonomic interventions.
Subject
Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
