Marican Muhammad Ammar, Chandra Lavern Dharma, Tang Yunqi, Iskandar Muhammad Nur Shahril, Lim Cheryl Xue Er, Kong Pui Wah
Physical Education and Sports Science Department, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore.
College of Art and Design, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China.
Sensors (Basel). 2025 May 20;25(10):3211. doi: 10.3390/s25103211.
Military operators performing vehicle maintenance work are at times subject to onerous tasks such as lifting and transporting heavy loads, potentially in confined spaces. As this presents a risk for developing musculoskeletal injury, it is of interest to evaluate if a passive back-support exosuit could help reduce back muscle load. This study used wireless electromyographic (EMG) sensors to evaluate the biomechanical effects of exosuits during lifting tasks. Ten male participants performed military-relevant lifting tasks with and without wearing the exosuit in randomised orders. The lifting tasks included (1) vertical lifts of different weights (15 and 25 kg) onto different platform heights (0.5 m and 1.2 m) and (2) a lateral walk task across 4 m in a confined space while carrying a 39 kg weight. EMG activities of three back muscle groups (longissimus, iliocostalis, and multifidus) were measured and normalised to maximal isometric back extension tasks. The results showed no significant differences in muscle activation between conditions in most lifting tasks, except for a reduction in longissimus muscle activity when using the exosuit during lateral walking. Individual responses varied substantially, with some participants showing reduced muscle activity, while others did not. These findings highlight the challenges in implementing exosuits in reducing back muscle load during military lifting tasks. While passive back-support exosuits may provide benefits to some users, their effectiveness varies among individuals and may be task-dependent.
执行车辆维修工作的军事操作人员有时会面临繁重的任务，例如在有限空间内举起重物并搬运，这可能会带来肌肉骨骼损伤的风险。因此，评估被动式背部支撑外骨骼是否有助于减轻背部肌肉负荷具有重要意义。本研究使用无线肌电图（EMG）传感器来评估外骨骼在举重任务中的生物力学效应。10名男性参与者以随机顺序在穿着和不穿外骨骼的情况下执行与军事相关的举重任务。举重任务包括：（1）将不同重量（15千克和25千克）的物品垂直举升至不同平台高度（0.5米和1.2米）；（2）在有限空间内携带39千克重物横向行走4米。测量了三个背部肌肉群（竖脊肌、髂肋肌和多裂肌）的肌电图活动，并将其标准化为最大等长背部伸展任务。结果显示，在大多数举重任务中，不同条件下的肌肉激活没有显著差异，但在横向行走时使用外骨骼时，竖脊肌的活动有所减少。个体反应差异很大，一些参与者的肌肉活动减少，而另一些则没有。这些发现凸显了在军事举重任务中使用外骨骼减轻背部肌肉负荷所面临的挑战。虽然被动式背部支撑外骨骼可能对一些用户有益，但其效果因人而异，可能还取决于任务。
