Sport Sciences - Performance and Technology, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Sport Sciences - Performance and Technology, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Appl Ergon. 2023 Nov;113:104104. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104104. Epub 2023 Jul 31.
Occupational exoskeletons contribute to diminish the biomechanical load during manual work. However, familiarization to the use of exoskeletons is rarely considered, which may lead to failure of acceptance and implementation. In this study, ten logistic workers underwent a 5-week progressive familiarization to a passive shoulder exoskeleton, while ten workers acted as controls. Tests pre and post the familiarization applied measurements of muscle activity and kinematics of back, neck, and shoulder, perceived effort, and usability-ratings of the exoskeleton. Exoskeleton use resulted in lower muscle activity of anterior deltoid (13-39%) and upper trapezius (16-60%) and reduced perceived effort. Additionally, it induced an offset in shoulder flexion and abduction during resting position (8-10°). No conclusions on familiarization could be drawn due to low adherence to the protocol. However, the emotions of the workers towards using the exoskeleton decreased making it questionable whether the shoulder exoskeleton is suitable for use in the logistics sector.
职业外骨骼有助于减轻体力劳动中的生物力学负荷。然而，使用者对外骨骼的熟悉程度很少被考虑，这可能导致接受度和实施度的失败。在这项研究中，十名物流工人接受了为期五周的被动式肩部外骨骼渐进式熟悉过程，而另外十名工人则作为对照组。在熟悉过程前后，对背部、颈部和肩部的肌肉活动和运动学、感知的努力程度以及外骨骼的可用性评分进行了测试。使用外骨骼可使前三角肌（13-39%）和上斜方肌（16-60%）的肌肉活动降低，感知的努力程度降低。此外，它还会使肩部在休息位置时的前屈和外展（8-10°）发生偏移。由于对方案的低依从性，无法得出关于熟悉过程的结论。然而，工人对使用外骨骼的情绪有所降低，这使得肩部外骨骼是否适合在物流领域使用产生了疑问。
