Enhancing ergonomics in E-waste disassembly: the impact of collaborative robotics on muscle activation and coordination.

Disassembly, as a part of the electronic waste (e-waste) management process, is a labour-intensive task. The emergence of collaborative robots (cobots) provides a robotic solution to reduce the human efforts during disassembly. This study evaluated muscle activation patterns during cobot-assisted e-...

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Publicado en:Ergonomics Vol. 68; no. 11; pp. 1781 - 1794
Autores principales: Wang, Xiangrui, Grimaldi, Nicolas S., Zheng, Minghui, Behdad, Sara, Yang, Chizhao, Hu, Boyi
Formato: equations & formulas pictorial research tables/charts tracings Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Nov2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Nov2025
      vid: 68
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1080/00140139.2024.2436534
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        atl: Enhancing ergonomics in E-waste disassembly: the impact of collaborative robotics on muscle activation and coordination.
      aug:
        au:
          Wang, Xiangrui
          Grimaldi, Nicolas S.
          Zheng, Minghui
          Behdad, Sara
          Yang, Chizhao
          Hu, Boyi
        affil: Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Ergonomics Evaluation
          Refuse Disposal
          Electronics
          Waste Products
          Robotics
          Muscle Contraction Evaluation
          Muscle, Skeletal Physiology
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Electromyography
          User-Computer Interface
          Collaboration
          Workload
          Human
          Funding Source
          Biceps Brachii Muscles Physiology
          Trapezius Muscles Physiology
          Erector Spinae Muscles Physiology
          Time
          Paired T-Tests
          Waveforms
          Upper Extremity
          Neck Muscles
          Spine
          Adult
          Comparative Studies
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Colleges and Universities
          Adult: 19-44 years
      ab: Disassembly, as a part of the electronic waste (e-waste) management process, is a labour-intensive task. The emergence of collaborative robots (cobots) provides a robotic solution to reduce the human efforts during disassembly. This study evaluated muscle activation patterns during cobot-assisted e-waste disassembly using surface electromyography (EMG). Twenty-two participants were recruited to perform disassembly tasks with and without cobot assistance. EMG signals from biceps brachii (BB), brachioradialis (BR), upper trapezius (UT), and erector spinae (ES) were collected simultaneously. Six features were then calculated to determine muscle activation patterns. Additionally, EMG-EMG coherence analysis was conducted for BR and ES muscles. Results showed a significant reduction in muscle activity with cobot assistance, particularly in the left ES muscle (46.4% decrease). Moreover, coherence between BR and ES muscles significantly increased. These findings indicate the proposed collaboration strategy not only reduces the muscle activity but also sheds light on enhancing muscle coordination during e-waste disassembly. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: This study explores how a cobot improves manual e-waste disassembly from the perspectives of muscle activity and coordination. Reduced muscle activity and enhanced coordination suggest a promising future for reshaping the labour-intensive disassembly.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        equations & formulas
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        tracings
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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