Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Appl Ergon. 2024 Feb;115:104178. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104178. Epub 2023 Nov 18.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of arm- and back-support exoskeletons on reactive balance after slip-like and trip-like perturbations on a treadmill. Twenty-eight participants used two arm-support exoskeletons and two back-support exoskeletons with support (i.e., assistive joint torque) activated or deactivated. In each exoskeleton condition, as well in as a control without any exoskeleton, participants were exposed to 12 treadmill perturbations during upright standing. The exoskeletons did not significantly increase the probability of a failed recovery after the perturbations compared to wearing no exoskeleton, but did elicit effects on kinematic variables that suggested balance recovery was more challenging. Moreover, reactive balance differed when wearing back-support and arm-support exoskeletons, and when wearing an activated exoskeleton compared to a deactivated exoskeleton. Together, our results suggest these exoskeletons may increase the risk of slip- and trip-induced falls. The potential mechanisms of this increased risk are discussed and include the added mass and/or motion restrictions associated with wearing these exoskeletons. Our results do not support the assistive hip/back extension moment provided by back-support exoskeletons adversely affecting fall risk.
本研究旨在探讨在跑步机上受到类似滑倒和绊倒的扰动后，手臂和背部支撑式外骨骼对反应性平衡的影响。28 名参与者使用了两种手臂支撑式外骨骼和两种背部支撑式外骨骼，其中支撑（即辅助关节扭矩）开启或关闭。在每种外骨骼条件下，以及在没有任何外骨骼的对照条件下，参与者在直立站立时暴露于 12 次跑步机扰动下。与不穿外骨骼相比，外骨骼并没有显著增加扰动后恢复失败的可能性，但在外骨骼激活和不激活的情况下，运动学变量的变化表明平衡恢复更具挑战性。此外，在穿戴背部支撑式和手臂支撑式外骨骼以及穿戴激活式外骨骼与不激活式外骨骼时，反应性平衡也有所不同。总之，我们的研究结果表明，这些外骨骼可能会增加滑倒和绊倒引起的跌倒风险。讨论了这种增加风险的潜在机制，包括与穿戴这些外骨骼相关的附加质量和/或运动限制。我们的研究结果不支持背部支撑式外骨骼提供的辅助髋关节/背部伸展力矩会对跌倒风险产生不利影响的观点。
