@inproceedings{029f30bc6d8d48c7bb856818d86d7c21,
title = "Assessing the Impact of Active Back Support Exoskeletons on Muscular Activity during Construction Tasks: Insights from Physiological Sensing",
abstract = "Active exoskeletons are emerging as ergonomic solutions in the construction sector to reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries. While the benefits of active exoskeletons are promising, they can also cause increased muscle activity, leading to local muscular fatigue. This study aimed to examine the impact of the active exoskeleton system on the muscular activity of construction workers during common construction activities. Ten subjects completed material handling tasks under two weight conditions (10 and 30 lbs) in a lab-controlled environment, with and without using an active exoskeleton. Portable electromyography (EMG) sensors were used to measure lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle activity in each condition. Four descriptive statistics features in the time and frequency domains were extracted from the collected signals. Results of the t-test showed a significant difference in the physiological metrics extracted from the subjects' EMG signals of the LES muscle. Findings demonstrated that using active exoskeletons reduces the internal muscle force in the lower back regions of construction workers.",
author = "Amit Ojha and Hongyu Guo and Houtan Jebelli and Anne Martin and Abiola Akanmu",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} ASCE 2023.All rights reserved.; ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2023: Resilience, Safety, and Sustainability, i3CE 2023 ; Conference date: 25-06-2023 Through 28-06-2023",
year = "2024",
doi = "10.1061/9780784485248.041",
language = "English (US)",
series = "Computing in Civil Engineering 2023: Resilience, Safety, and Sustainability - Selected Papers from the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2023",
publisher = "American Society of Civil Engineers",
pages = "340--347",
editor = "Yelda Turkan and Joseph Louis and Fernanda Leite and Semiha Ergan",
booktitle = "Computing in Civil Engineering 2023",
}