SBIR Phase II: Mechanized clothing to enhance productivity and low back health in the logistics industry

SBIR 第二阶段：机械化服装，以提高物流行业的生产力和腰部健康

• 批准号: 2139480
• 负责人: Matthew Yandell
• 金额: $ 99.87万
• 依托单位: HEROWEAR, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2139480&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Mechanized; clothing

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Phase II project is to enhance the scientific and technological understanding of designing lift-assist exosuits (mechanized clothing), an assistive technology that has the potential to impact society by reducing the fatigue, back injury risk, and back pain of delivery drivers. For employers, the exosuit creates the potential for reduced employee turnover and medical costs. The proposed exosuit has potential commercial impact as the first and only lift-assist exosuit for delivery workers, a ubiquitous and growing job sector that cuts across nearly all commercial markets. This project could additionally impact the economic competitiveness of the United States by increasing the available workforce and reducing the cost of healthcare for Americans.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to address key design challenges associated with assistive technologies that provide lift-assistance for delivery drivers. Surmounting this technical hurdle relies on two key features: (1) the ability to turn assistance on/off when carrying an object, and (2) the ability to sit comfortably for long periods of time while driving. The research objectives of the Phase II project are to: 1) add a new mode-switching capability, 2) integrate a unique method of disengaging assistance that maximizes comfort during sitting, 3) create a novel leg sleeve to maximize comfort when the exosuit is not assisting, and 4) carry out a field study to validate exosuit performance in real-world conditions. This project will combine technical requirements and user stories with a series of rapid design iterations. Using this approach, multiple prototypes will be designed, built, and tested with delivery drivers to assess real-world performance and user acceptance. This project is projected to result in a commercially viable exosuit prototype that fits the daily needs of delivery drivers, as well as objective and subjective evidence of its efficacy in real-world scenarios.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提高对设计升降辅助运动服（机械化服装）的科学和技术理解，这是一种辅助技术，有可能通过减少疲劳，背部受伤风险和送货司机的背部疼痛来影响社会。对于雇主来说，外装护具为降低员工流动率和医疗成本创造了潜力。 拟议中的机器人具有潜在的商业影响，因为它是第一款也是唯一一款用于送货工人的升降辅助机器人，这是一个无处不在且不断增长的就业部门，几乎涵盖所有商业市场。该项目还可以通过增加可用劳动力和降低美国人的医疗保健成本来影响美国的经济竞争力。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在解决与辅助技术相关的关键设计挑战，为送货司机提供电梯辅助。克服这一技术障碍依赖于两个关键特征：（1）在携带物体时打开/关闭辅助的能力，以及（2）在驾驶时长时间舒适地坐着的能力。第二阶段项目的研究目标是：1）增加新的模式切换能力，2）整合一种独特的脱离辅助方法，使坐姿时的舒适度最大化，3）创造一种新型的腿套，使机器护甲不辅助时的舒适度最大化，4）进行实地研究，以验证机器护甲在现实条件下的性能。该项目将联合收割机技术需求和用户故事与一系列快速设计迭代相结合。使用这种方法，将设计、构建多个原型，并使用交付驱动程序进行测试，以评估真实世界的性能和用户接受度。该项目预计将产生一个商业上可行的机器护甲原型，适合交付司机的日常需求，以及其在现实世界场景中的功效的客观和主观证据。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。