The Effects of Energy Harvesting Backpack on the Kinematics, Kinetics, and Muscle Activity of Human Lower Limbs

Abstract

In recent years, the rapid development of portable and wearable electronic devices has brought new challenges to battery power supply, especially in field operations or combat. Researchers have tried to harvest energy from the environment to solve the burden of carrying additional batteries, and the energy harvesting backpack is a promising solution during load carriage. However, few studies have focused on the actual biomechanical effects of energy harvesting backpacks on the human body. The purpose of this article was to determine the effects of carrying an energy harvesting backpack on the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the lower limbs when compared with ordinary backpacks. In this paper, we processed the data and compared the differences between the two backpacks. When carrying an energy harvesting backpack for short-distance activities, joint kinematics and kinetics were influenced and caused some increase in muscle activity of the lower limb. The changes may be a mechanism to maintain balance and reduce the stress on the lower limbs when walking and running.