Presentation
Effects of Two Passive Back-Support Exoskeletons on Physical Demands, Discomfort, Perceived Exertion, and Usability in Simulated Manual Mining Tasks
DescriptionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) remain a major health concern in the mining industry, with the back being the area most commonly affected. Given that back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) have the potential to prevent back WMSDs, we investigated the effectiveness of two passive BSEs (soft vs. rigid) during mining-relevant tasks compared to a control condition (no BSE). Participants (n=18) performed cable hanging/installation, core box lifting, and overhead wire mesh installation tasks under different task conditions. Using both BSEs significantly reduced activity in the left trunk extensor muscles during core box lifting and overhead wire mesh installation tasks. The rigid BSE increased discomfort in the waist and thighs during the cable hanging/installation task, increased discomfort in the chest and waist during the core box lifting task, and increased discomfort in the waist during the overhead wire mesh installation task. In contrast, the soft BSE reduced perceived exertion in the upper back during all tasks. Moreover, participants rated the soft BSE more favorably in terms of usability and perceived balance. While both BSEs showed promising results for potential WMSD prevention, future work is recommended to assess these designs during more prolonged use among mining workers, especially given the discomfort reported with the rigid BSE.
Event Type
Lecture
TimeFriday, October 17th8am - 8:20am CDT
LocationGrand Hall K
Occupational Ergonomics
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