Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; HeroWear, LLC, Nashville, TN, USA.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Appl Ergon. 2022 Feb;99:103619. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103619. Epub 2021 Nov 2.
Low back disorders (LBDs) are a leading injury in the workplace. Back exoskeletons (exos) are wearable assist devices that complement traditional ergonomic controls and reduce LBD risks by alleviating musculoskeletal overexertion. However, there are currently no ergonomic assessment tools to evaluate risk for workers wearing back exos. Exo-LiFFT, an extension of the Lifting Fatigue Failure Tool, is introduced as a means to unify the etiology of LBDs with the biomechanical function of exos. We present multiple examples demonstrating how Exo-LiFFT can assess or predict the effect of exos on LBD risk without costly, time-consuming electromyography studies. For instance, using simulated and real-world material handling data we show an exo providing a 30 Nm lumbar moment is projected to reduce cumulative back damage by ∼70% and LBD risk by ∼20%. Exo-LiFFT provides a practical, efficient ergonomic assessment tool to assist safety professionals exploring back exos as part of a comprehensive occupational health program.
下背部疾病（LBDs）是工作场所的主要损伤。背部外骨骼（exos）是可穿戴的辅助设备，可通过减轻肌肉骨骼过度用力来补充传统的人体工程学控制，并降低 LBD 风险。然而，目前还没有用于评估穿戴背部外骨骼的工人风险的人体工程学评估工具。Exo-LiFFT 是举重疲劳失效工具的扩展，旨在将 LBD 的病因与 exos 的生物力学功能统一起来。我们展示了多个示例，展示了如何使用 Exo-LiFFT 在不进行昂贵、耗时的肌电图研究的情况下评估或预测 exos 对 LBD 风险的影响。例如，使用模拟和真实世界的物料搬运数据，我们表明，一个提供 30Nm 腰部力矩的外骨骼预计将减少累积的背部损伤约 70%，并降低 LBD 风险约 20%。Exo-LiFFT 提供了一种实用、高效的人体工程学评估工具，可帮助安全专业人员将背部外骨骼作为全面职业健康计划的一部分进行探索。
