Effects of using a whole-body powered exoskeleton during simulated occupational load-handling tasks: A pilot study
Effects of using a whole-body powered exoskeleton during simulated occupational load-handling tasks: A pilot study
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在模拟职业负载处理任务中使用全身动力外骨骼的效果：一项试点研究
DOI：
10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103589
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发表时间：
2022
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Srinivasan, Divya
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Park, Hanjun;Kim, Sunwook;Nussbaum, Maury A.;Srinivasan, Divya
全身动力外骨骼（WB-PEXO）可以有效地减少繁重职业工作的身体需求，但几乎没有经验证据表明WB-PEXO的使用效果。本研究评估了在实验室模拟负荷处理任务期间使用WB-PEXO对背部和腿部肌肉活动的影响。六名参与者（4 M，2F）完成了两项此类任务（载荷运输和固定载荷转移），使用和不使用WB-PEXO，并且在每个任务中使用一系列载荷质量。使用WB-PEXO可降低背部（胸部42-53%，腰部24-43%）和腿部（膝关节屈肌和伸肌41-63%）肌肉活动的中位数水平，主要是在处理超过中低水平（10-15 kg）的负荷时。总体而言，使用WB-PEXO还降低了肌肉活动的个体间方差（较小的SD）。未来的工作应该研究不同的用户，重点是找到WB-PEXO使用和特定任务之间的有效匹配，并确定不同工作环境中的应用程序。
Whole-body powered exoskeletons (WB-PEXOs) can be effective in reducing the physical demands of heavy occupational work, yet almost no empirical evidence exists on the effects of WB-PEXO use. This study assessed the effects of WB-PEXO use on back and leg muscle activities during lab-based simulations of load handling tasks. Six participants (4M, 2F) completed two such tasks (load carriage and stationary load transfer), both with and without a WB-PEXO, and with a range of load masses in each task. WB-PEXO use reduced median levels of muscle activity in the back (∼42–53% in thoracic and ∼24–43% in lumbar regions) and legs (∼41–63% in knee flexors and extensors), and mainly when handling loads beyond low-moderate levels (10–15 kg). Overall, using the WB-PEXO also reduced inter-individual variance (smaller SD) in muscle activities. Future work should examine diverse users, focus on finding effective matches between WB-PEXO use and specific tasks, and identify applications in varied work environments.