The effects of a lower body exoskeleton load carriage assistive device on limits of stability and postural sway

Schiffman, Jeffrey M.; Gregorczyk, Karen N.; Bensel, Carolyn K.; Hasselquist, Leif; Obusek, John P.

doi:10.1080/00140130802248084

Cited by 35 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Some exoskeletons can significantly shift the user's center of gravity causing balance problems and diminished recovery strategy—the human body's response to a loss of balance . Data shows that human recovery strategy following a collision was negatively impacted by the use of an exoskeleton . In addition, human factors related to the introduction of a wearable device, such as decreased vigilance or distraction from other safety measures, could also impact safety .…”

Section: Potential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Howard

Murashov

Lowe

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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Exoskeleton devices are being introduced across several industry sectors to augment, amplify, or reinforce the performance of a worker's existing body components-primarily the lower back and the upper extremity. Industrial exoskeletons may play a role in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders arising from lifting and handling heavy materials or from supporting heavy tools in overhead work. However, wearing an exoskeleton may pose a number of risks that are currently not well-studied. There are only a few studies about the safety and health implications of wearable exoskeletons and most of those studies involve only a small number of participants. Before the widespread implementation of industrial exoskeletons occurs, there is need for prospective interventional studies to evaluate the safety and health effectiveness of exoskeletons across various industry sectors. Developing a research strategy to fill current safety and health knowledge gaps, understanding the benefits, risks, and barriers to adoption of industrial exoskeletons, determining whether exoskeleton can be considered a type of personal protective equipment, and advancing consensus standards that address exoskeleton safety, should be major interests of both the occupational safety and health research and practice communities. K E Y W O R D S exoskeleton, human augmentation, intervention effectiveness, PPE

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Section: Potential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Howard

Murashov

Lowe

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Active exoskeletons 6,7 describe devices that require a power source, whereas passive devices 8,9 have no external power and typically utilise springs or serve as an external support. Further, the structure of the device may include hard rigid components such as aluminium or carbon fibre, [10][11][12] soft textile or cable components, 6,13 or a combination of both. Recent developmental efforts have yielded devices that reduced metabolic cost by up to 15% [6][7][8] or potentially minimised injury risk by offsetting the external load outside the musculoskeletal system 10,14,15 during common military tasks such as walking and load carriage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5,16,17 There has also been a concurrent increase in the number of scientific evaluations involving human volunteers performed internationally by academic and government laboratories. For example, evaluations have recently been conducted for the OX, 18 Exo Hiker, 10,11 Warrior Web, 6 B-Temia 19 and MIT ankle exoskeleton. 7,12 Many publications pertaining to current militaryspecific exoskeletons have focused on a single activity or task such as steady state walking or running.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consensus paper on testing and evaluation of military exoskeletons for the dismounted combatant

Mudie

Boynton

Karakolis

et al. 2018

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

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Enhancing the capabilities of the dismounted combatant has been an enduring goal of international military research communities. Emerging developments in exoskeleton technology offers the potential to augment the dismounted combatant's capabilities. However, the ability to determine the value proposition of an exoskeleton in a military context is difficult due to the variety of methods and metrics used to evaluate previous devices. The aim of this paper was to present a standard framework for the evaluation and assessment of exoskeletons for use in the military. A structured and systematic methodology was developed from the end-user perspective and progresses from controlled laboratory conditions (Stage A), to simulated movements specific to the dismounted combatant (Stage B), and real-world military specific tasks (Stage C). A standard set of objective and subjective metrics were described to ensure a holistic assessment on the human response to wearing the exoskeleton and the device's mechanical performance during each stage. A standardised methodology will ensure further advancement of exoskeleton technology and support improved international collaboration across research and industry groups. In doing so, this better enables international military groups to evaluate a system's potential, with the hope of accelerating the maturity and ultimately the fielding of devices to augment the dismounted close combatant and small team capability.

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“…These newly developed exoskeletons proved to some extent helpful in decreasing the feeling of burden of the operators. Some positive study results reported the benefits of specific exoskeletons in reducing the internal muscle forces in corresponding body regions [8] and reducing high physical demands in standing status [10]. These exoskeletons have been designed to make load carriage easier by providing a parallel load path to the ground.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects on Muscle Activity and Discomfort of Varying Load Carriage With and Without an Augmentation Exoskeleton

Huaixian

Liu

et al. 2018

Applied Sciences

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Load carriage is a key risk factor for Muscular Skeletal Disorders (MSDs). As one way to decrease such injuries, some exoskeletons have been developed for regular load carriage. We examined the ergonomic potential of an augmentation exoskeleton. Nine subjects completed eight trials of carrying tasks, using four loading levels (0, 15, 30, and 45 kg) and two carrying conditions (with and without the exoskeleton). Electromyography (EMG) and the extended NASA-TLX rating scales were investigated and analyzed by linear mixed modeling and two-way ANOVA methods. Noraxon MR3.8, SPSS19.0, and MATLAB R2014b software were adapted. The results show that most of the muscle mean activities increased significantly (p < 0.05) with exoskeleton assistance. However, the interactive effects illustrate a decreasing trend with increase of load level. The mean discomfort rating scale values were generally higher, but subjects generally preferred using the exoskeleton in heavier loading tasks. The exoskeleton can effectively augment the performance of humans in heavy load carriage. The main reasons for higher muscle activity are from inflexible structures and inharmonious human–robot interactions. In order to decrease the MSD risks and increase comfort, optimal human–robot control strategies and adaptable kinematic design should be improved.

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The effects of a lower body exoskeleton load carriage assistive device on limits of stability and postural sway

Cited by 35 publications

References 28 publications

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Consensus paper on testing and evaluation of military exoskeletons for the dismounted combatant

The Effects on Muscle Activity and Discomfort of Varying Load Carriage With and Without an Augmentation Exoskeleton

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