Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a passive trunk exoskeleton on functional performance for various work related tasks in healthy individuals. 18 healthy men performed 12 tasks. Functional performance in each task was assessed based on objective outcome measures and subjectively in terms of perceived task difficulty, local and general discomfort. Wearing the exoskeleton tended to increase objective performance in static forward bending, but decreased performance in tasks, such as walking, carrying and ladder climbing. A significant decrease was found in perceived task difficulty and local discomfort in the back in static forward bending, but a significant increase of perceived difficulty in several other tasks, like walking, squatting and wide standing. Especially tasks that involved hip flexion were perceived more difficult with the exoskeleton. Design improvements should include provisions to allow full range of motion of hips and trunk to increase versatility and user acceptance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 94-106 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Applied Ergonomics |
| Volume | 72 |
| Early online date | 18 May 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2018 |
Funding
The work presented in this paper was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 687662 – SPEXOR.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Horizon 2020 Framework Programme | 687662 |
Keywords
- Assistive device
- Low back pain
- User acceptance