Design and Validation of a Low-Cost Wearable Assistive Device for Carrying Back Loads

Abstract

This paper discusses about a low-cost wearable assistive device designed for people carrying back loads in mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, a northern state of India. People usually carry commodities like stationeries, gas cylinders, cow feeds and other daily supplies in a basket made of bamboo skin which they hang on to their back using a thin cloth strap which runs around their shoulders. This kind of practice leads to excessive loading on their shoulders and vertebra, which gradually leads to musculoskeletal disorders in the future. The presented device will provide assistance in carrying the loaded basket with much ease. The paper also studies the capability of the proposed assistive device in distributing the load effectively to the human body in comparison with the ineffective load distribution happening in the currently practiced method of carrying the basket.