TY - JOUR
T1 - Physiological impact of powered back-support exoskeletons in construction
T2 - Analyzing muscle fatigue, metabolic cost, ergonomic risks, and stability
AU - Ojha, Amit
AU - Gautam, Yogesh
AU - Jebelli, Houtan
AU - Akanmu, Abiola
N1 - This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Award (Grant No. IIS-2410255 and IIS-2221166 , \u201CUnderstanding Underlying Risks and Sociotechnical Challenges of Powered Exoskeleton to Construction Workers\u201D). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
PY - 2024/12/1
Y1 - 2024/12/1
N2 - Powered back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are emerging as ergonomic interventions in construction to reduce musculoskeletal injuries by actively enhancing user strength. However, their adoption remains slow due to limited understanding of potential physiological impacts, including muscle fatigue, metabolic cost, joint hyperextension, and fall risk. This paper empirically investigates the potential physiological risk associated with the powered BSEs during construction tasks. A user-centered experiment assessed the impact of powered BSEs on muscle fatigue, metabolic cost, ergonomic posture, and stability during common construction activities. The results indicated that the powered BSEs significantly decreased muscle activity for back and abdominal muscle groups by an average of 60 %, reduced metabolic costs by 17 %, and lowered ergonomic risks by 50 % without impacting stability. This study contributes to the understanding of the physiological impacts of powered BSEs in construction, providing empirical evidence of their effectiveness in reducing muscle fatigue, metabolic costs, and enhancing ergonomic safety.
AB - Powered back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are emerging as ergonomic interventions in construction to reduce musculoskeletal injuries by actively enhancing user strength. However, their adoption remains slow due to limited understanding of potential physiological impacts, including muscle fatigue, metabolic cost, joint hyperextension, and fall risk. This paper empirically investigates the potential physiological risk associated with the powered BSEs during construction tasks. A user-centered experiment assessed the impact of powered BSEs on muscle fatigue, metabolic cost, ergonomic posture, and stability during common construction activities. The results indicated that the powered BSEs significantly decreased muscle activity for back and abdominal muscle groups by an average of 60 %, reduced metabolic costs by 17 %, and lowered ergonomic risks by 50 % without impacting stability. This study contributes to the understanding of the physiological impacts of powered BSEs in construction, providing empirical evidence of their effectiveness in reducing muscle fatigue, metabolic costs, and enhancing ergonomic safety.
KW - Exoskeleton
KW - Occupational ergonomics
KW - Wearable assistive device
KW - Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)
KW - Worker safety
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U2 - 10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105742
DO - 10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105742
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85203495122
SN - 0926-5805
VL - 168
JO - Automation in Construction
JF - Automation in Construction
M1 - 105742
ER -