A framework for assessment of impact of exoskeletons on safety and performance of construction workers

评估外骨骼对建筑工人安全和绩效影响的框架

• 批准号: 567348-2021
• 负责人: Rouhani, Hossein
• 金额: $ 7.24万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=719356
• 关键词: framework; assessment; impact; exoskeletons; safety

Labour is one of the most crucial and flexible resources in Canadian industry sectors such as construction and maintenance. Labour operations in construction involve physically demanding motions and tasks and awkward postures that can lead to significant risks of musculoskeletal injuries. Such injuries not only impact the quality of life of the workers but also impose substantial costs on employers. The annual impact of work-related musculoskeletal injuries on the Canadian economy is estimated to be $20 billion. Therefore, the development of strategies to reduce the risk factors such as loads exerted on the worker's body can significantly benefit the Canadian construction industry. One of the emerging technologies aiming to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries is the exoskeleton, a wearable robot that supports the user's body by reducing physical demands from the body. However, most available exoskeletons have limitation for their long-term use in versatile and dynamic industry sectors, and there is a lack of exoskeletons designed, evaluated, and implemented for most tasks in several industry sectors such as construction and maintenance. This project aims to develop a novel systematic process for adopting and implementing exoskeletons on a task-specific basis to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries in the Canadian construction and utility maintenance industry. Together with our industry partners, we will characterize the usability and effectiveness of exoskeletons in injury prevention through biomechanical and ergonomic analysis and in-lab and in-field experimental evaluation. Then, we will recommend the specification of industrial exoskeletons to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries for high-risk tasks construction and utility maintenance industry.This project will reduce the economic burden on the Canadian construction industry and healthcare system, provide new market opportunities for Canadian industry in the field of biomechatronics and ergonomic assessments, and train further experts to promote the health and safety of workers.

在建筑和维修等加拿大工业部门，劳动力是最关键和最灵活的资源之一。建筑施工中的人工操作涉及要求体力的动作和任务，以及可能导致肌肉骨骼损伤的重大风险的笨拙姿势。这种伤害不仅影响工人的生活质量，还会给雇主带来巨大的成本。每年因工受伤对加拿大经济的影响估计为200亿美元。因此，制定减少风险因素的策略，如对工人身体施加的负荷，可以极大地造福于加拿大建筑业。旨在降低与工作相关的肌肉骨骼损伤风险的新兴技术之一是外骨骼，这是一种可穿戴的机器人，通过减少身体对身体的需求来支持用户的身体。然而，大多数可用的外骨骼在多用途和动态的工业部门中的长期使用受到限制，而且在建筑和维护等几个工业部门的大多数任务中缺乏外骨骼的设计、评估和实施。该项目旨在开发一种新的系统程序，在特定任务的基础上采用和实施外骨骼，以减少加拿大建筑和公用事业维护行业中与工作有关的肌肉骨骼损伤的风险。我们将与我们的行业合作伙伴一起，通过生物力学和人体工程学分析以及实验室和现场实验评估来表征外骨骼在伤害预防中的可用性和有效性。然后，我们将推荐工业外骨骼的规格，以降低高风险任务建筑和公用事业维护行业与工作相关的肌肉骨骼损伤的风险。该项目将减轻加拿大建筑业和医疗保健系统的经济负担，为加拿大工业在生物机电和人体工程学评估领域提供新的市场机会，并培训进一步的专家，以促进工人的健康和安全。