BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:Linklings LLC
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:19700308T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:19701101T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251016T135131Z
LOCATION:Grand Hall K
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251017T084000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251017T090000
UID:HFESAM_ASPIRE 2025_sess243_LECT578@linklings.com
SUMMARY:The Effects of Passive and Active Back Support Exoskeletons on End
 urance, Perceived Exertion, and Back Discomfort during Fatigue-Induced Rep
 etitive Lifting
DESCRIPTION:Zeinab Kazemi, Amir Mehdi Shayan, and Divya Srinivasan (Clemso
 n University)\n\nBack-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are a promising interven
 tion to mitigate physical strain in industrial environments, yet their eff
 ectiveness during fatigue-inducing tasks like repetitive lifting remains u
 nderexplored. This study evaluated the effects of passive (Apex) and power
 ed (Apogee) BSEs on endurance, perceived exertion, and back discomfort dur
 ing repetitive lifting. Sixteen healthy adults performed lifting under thr
 ee randomized conditions: no exoskeleton (control), Apex, and Apogee. Part
 icipants repeatedly lifted and lowered a load of 15% of their body mass, a
 t ~8 lifts/min, until exhaustion. Endurance time, lifting cycles, perceive
 d exertion (RPE), and back discomfort (RPD) were recorded. Use of the powe
 red BSE significantly increased time to fatigue (+30.8%, p=0.03) and numbe
 r of lifting cycles (+29.1%, p=0.03) compared to control. RPE significantl
 y increased over time across all conditions (p<0.001) but was significantl
 y lower with Apogee compared to control (p=0.015, -6.7%). Use of the passi
 ve BSE was associated with a non-significant trend toward increased endura
 nce and reduced RPE compared to control. Neither device significantly alle
 viated back RPD. These findings suggest that powered exoskeletons may be e
 ffective for reducing fatigue during repetitive lifting. Further research 
 is needed to evaluate long-term impacts on spinal loading, body kinematics
 , and user adaptation.\n\nTrack: Occupational Ergonomics\n\nSession Chairs
 : Sang Hyeon Kang (Iowa State University) and Mohamad Behjati Ashtiani (Vi
 rginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)\n\n
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR