Abstract
Low back disorder continues to be prevalent amongst construction workers, especially the rebar workers who are often engaged in repetitive stooping postures. Wearable robots, exoskeletons, are recent ergonomic interventions currently explored in the construction industry that have potentials of reducing the risks of low back pain by augmenting users’ body parts and reducing demands on the back. This paper presents the assessment of a commercially available passive wearable robot, BackX, designed for reducing low back disorder amongst rebar workers. The study evaluated the exoskeleton in terms of task performance and physiological conditions. Outcome measures such as completion time were employed to evaluate the effect of the exoskeleton on task performance, while activations of Erector Spinae and Latissimus Dorsi muscles, and perceived discomfort across body parts were employed to assess the physiological effects of the exoskeleton. The results indicated mixed effects of the exoskeleton on muscle activations. Although the results revealed that the exoskeleton can reduce muscle activations across the Latissimus Dorsi, mixed effects were observed for the Erector Spinae especially during the forward bending tasks. The exoskeleton reduced completion time by 50% during the rebar tasks. There was also a 100% reduction in perceived discomfort on the back, but discomfort was tripled at the chest region when the exoskeleton was worn. This study reveals the potentials of the exoskeleton for reducing low back disorder and improving productivity amongst the rebar workers. However, the unintended consequences such as increased discomfort at the chest region and activations of the muscles highlight the need for improving existing exoskeleton designs for construction work.
Highlights
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) make up about 37% of non-fatal injuries and illnesses experienced by construction workers (Statistics, 2016)
This study assessed the effects of a wearable robot (BackX) during rebar works, by exploring the impact of the exoskeleton on task completion time, perceived discomfort, and muscle activity
With more impact observed for the shorter duration activity, it is imperative to state that the effect of back support exoskeleton (BackX) on task performance may be prominent for activities involving shorter durations
Summary
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) make up about 37% of non-fatal injuries and illnesses experienced by construction workers (Statistics, 2016). Albers and Hudock (2007) suggested that the use of power tier could allow workers to have one hand free, which can help to support their trunk and increase their productivity Such technological interventions are merely used as a tool to increase productivity with little attention on addressing WMSDs. advances in virtual technology have triggered developments of immersive and interactive work training environments. Yan et al (2018) proposed a wearable inertial measurement units-based personal protective equipment for tracking and alerting rebar workers about the risks associated with their trunks While this effort has potential for reducing ergonomic risks of construction work, alert system used could be a distraction which could affect workers’ productivity. A wearable system independent of the workers feedback to mitigate WMSDs has inspired the assessment of wearable robots such as exoskeletons
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