Rigid, Soft, Passive, and Active: A Hybrid Occupational Exoskeleton for Bimanual Multijoint Assistance

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Francesco Missiroli - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Nicola Lotti - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Enrica Tricomi - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Casimir Bokranz - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Ryan Alicea - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Michele Xiloyannis - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Jens Krzywinski - , Chair of Industrial Design Engineering (Author)
  • Simona Crea - , Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, IRCCS S. Maria Nascente-Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus (Author)
  • Nicola Vitiello - , Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, IRCCS S. Maria Nascente-Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus (Author)
  • Lorenzo Masia - , Heidelberg University  (Author)

Abstract

Physically demanding work is still common in western countries, with large proportions of the workforce that are exposed for more than a quarter of their working time to tiring postures or repetitive tasks: the shoulder is one of the main body areas susceptible to work-related musculo-skeletal disorders. Recent advancements in assistive technology have provided new instruments to promote safety and reduce workload. Colloquially referred to as occupational exoskeletons (OEs), these wearable devices are usually spring-loaded, and provide gravity support for overhead tasks. OEs for upper limbs are usually single-joint exoskeletons and assist shoulder flexion/extension; they do not provide support to distal joints such as the elbow. In the present work, starting from a commercially available exoskeleton, we propose an innovative concept of hybrid upper-limb OEs. We combined a spring-loaded shoulder exoskeleton with an active elbow exosuit to extend the capability of the OEs to provide gravitational support to both shoulder and elbow flexion-extension in strenuous manual tasks. The proposed device can reduce up to 32% of the <italic>biceps</italic> activity during the elbow flexion and up to 31% of the <italic>deltoids</italic> activity during the shoulder abduction. In-lab experimentation showed the potentials of such a hybrid approach in reducing the strain of the upper-limb muscles.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2557-2564
Number of pages8
JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Volume7
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-2862-9196/work/173052916