Efficacy of passive upper-limb exoskeletons in reducing musculoskeletal load associated with overhead tasksopen access
- Authors
- Kong, Y.-K.[Kong, Y.-K.]; Kim, J.H.[Kim, J.H.]; Shim, H.-H.[Shim, H.-H.]; Shim, J.-W.[Shim, J.-W.]; Park, S.-S.[Park, S.-S.]; Choi, K.-H.[Choi, K.-H.]
- Issue Date
- May-2023
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Keywords
- Electromyography; Ergonomic intervention; Overhead work; Shoulder assist; Work related musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)
- Citation
- Applied Ergonomics, v.109
- Indexed
- SCIE
SSCI
SCOPUS
- Journal Title
- Applied Ergonomics
- Volume
- 109
- URI
- https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/skku/handle/2021.sw.skku/103617
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103965
- ISSN
- 0003-6870
- Abstract
- Overhead work can pose substantial musculoskeletal stress in many industrial settings. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of passive upper-limb exoskeletons in reducing muscular activity and subjective discomfort ratings. In a repeated-measures laboratory experiment, 20 healthy male participants performed 10-min drilling tasks with and without two passive upper-limb exoskeletons (VEX and Airframe). During the tasks, muscle activity in eight muscles (upper limb - upper trapezius, middle deltoid, biceps brachii, triceps brachii; low back - erector spinae; lower limb - rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior) was collected using electromyography as a physical exertion measure. Subjective discomfort rating in six body parts was measured using the Borg's CR-10 scale. The results showed that muscle activity (especially in the upper-limb muscles) was significantly decreased by 29.3–58.1% with both exoskeletons compared to no exoskeleton condition. The subjective discomfort ratings showed limited differences between the conditions. These findings indicate that passive upper-limb exoskeletons may have potential as an effective intervention to reduce muscular loading and physical exertion during overhead work. © 2023
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Collections - Engineering > Department of Systems Management Engineering > 1. Journal Articles
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