Journal
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
Volume 114, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104158
Keywords
Upper-limb exoskeleton; EMG; Work-related musculoskeletal disorder; MSDs
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Exoskeletons have been found to have an impact on muscle activity in commonly performed tasks in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The influence of exoskeletons varies depending on the task and arm posture.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) significantly impact workers in the manufacturing and construction sectors. One solution that has gained interest to reduce MSDs incidence is the use of exoskeletons. In this study, the influence of an upper limb exoskeleton on muscle activity was investigated experimentally for three commonly performed tasks in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The tasks tested were overhead assembly, bricklaying, and box moving tasks. Eighteen males participated in the tests. The results showed a reduction in shoulder flexor muscle activation during all three tasks (up to-45.46 +/- 4.52% for the anterior deltoid), but increased extensor activation (up to 15.47 +/- 8.01% for the latissimus dorsi) was observed when the task was not primarily performed above shoulder level. The results revealed the dependence of the upper-body exoskeleton on tasks and arm posture, which should be considered for both in-field applications and designing new exoskeletons for performance enhancement.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available