Effects of a back-assist exosuit in lab-based approximations of construction tasks performed by novices and experienced construction workers.
Passive back-assist exosuits may be beneficial for construction workers, but few evaluations have been conducted with actual workers and construction-relevant tasks. This paper presents a laboratory study of the HeroWear Apex exosuit with 35 participants: 15 with significant construction experience...
| Published in: | Ergonomics Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 267 - 285 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Feb2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=182583892&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 182583892 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 00140139 ERO jtl: Ergonomics issn: 00140139 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Feb2025 vid: 68 iid: 2 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 182583892 175843342 182583892 182583892 10.1080/00140139.2024.2325535 182583892 ppf: 267 ppct: 18 formats: tig: atl: Effects of a back-assist exosuit in lab-based approximations of construction tasks performed by novices and experienced construction workers. aug: au: Song, Yu Goršič, Maja Feng, Zhichen Cordova, Haylen Li, Ling Dai, Boyi Novak, Vesna affil: Division of Kinesiology and Health, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA sug: subj: Construction Industry Task Performance and Analysis Evaluation Blue Collar Workers Psychosocial Factors Exoskeleton Devices Human Funding Source Lifting Carrying Standing Kneeling Walking Erector Spinae Muscles Physiology Electromyography Evaluation Kinematics Evaluation ab: Passive back-assist exosuits may be beneficial for construction workers, but few evaluations have been conducted with actual workers and construction-relevant tasks. This paper presents a laboratory study of the HeroWear Apex exosuit with 35 participants: 15 with significant construction experience and 20 without it. Participants completed several approximations of brief construction tasks (lifting, carrying, raising boards) and three 3-min tasks (hunched standing, kneeling, hunched walking with a nail gun) with and without the exosuit. During brief tasks, erector spinae electromyograms were reduced in all tasks (Cohen's d up to −0.58), kinematics suggested load shifting from the back to the legs, and the exosuit was perceived as helpful. During 3-min tasks, the exosuit was perceived as helpful in all tasks, but only reduced erector spinae electromyograms during kneeling. Thus, the exosuit may benefit workers during several construction-related tasks, though objective benefits could not be shown in 3-min standing or walking. Practitioner summary: This study explored how a passive back-assist exosuit affects back muscle activity and kinematics in lab-based approximations of construction tasks performed by both novices and experienced construction workers. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated potential benefits in several brief load lifting and carrying tasks, but not during 3-min standing or walking. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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