Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV.
Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 2021;49(4):1-13. doi: 10.1615/CritRevBiomedEng.2022041509.
Industrial exoskeletons have been used to assist workers during occupational activities, such as overhead work, tool-use, mobility, stooping/squatting, and/or load carrying in various industries. Despite the promise of reducing the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, there is a lack of sufficient evidence to support the safe and effective use of industrial exoskeletons. To assess the merits and residual risks of various types of exoskeletons in different work settings, more comprehensive evaluation procedures are needed. This review study aims to provide an overview of the existing viable and promising methods for evaluating the effectiveness of industrial exoskeletons. The different evaluation methods are organized into three categories-in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies. The limitations and challenges in different types of evaluation approaches are also discussed. In summary, this review sheds light on choosing appropriate evaluation approaches and may help with decision-making during the development, evaluation, and application of industrial exoskeletons.
工业外骨骼已被用于辅助工人进行职业活动，例如在各种行业中进行高空作业、使用工具、移动、弯腰/蹲下和/或负重。尽管有减少与工作相关的肌肉骨骼疾病风险的承诺，但缺乏足够的证据来支持工业外骨骼的安全有效使用。为了评估不同工作环境中外骨骼的优缺点和剩余风险，需要更全面的评估程序。本综述研究旨在提供现有评估工业外骨骼有效性的可行且有前途的方法概述。不同的评估方法分为三类：体外、体内和计算机模拟研究。还讨论了不同类型评估方法的局限性和挑战。总之，本综述阐明了选择合适的评估方法的重要性，并可能有助于在工业外骨骼的开发、评估和应用过程中做出决策。
