Assessing the Impact of Active Back Support Exoskeletons on Muscular Activity during Construction Tasks: Insights from Physiological Sensing
Publication: Computing in Civil Engineering 2023
ABSTRACT
Active exoskeletons are emerging as ergonomic solutions in the construction sector to reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries. While the benefits of active exoskeletons are promising, they can also cause increased muscle activity, leading to local muscular fatigue. This study aimed to examine the impact of the active exoskeleton system on the muscular activity of construction workers during common construction activities. Ten subjects completed material handling tasks under two weight conditions (10 and 30 lbs) in a lab-controlled environment, with and without using an active exoskeleton. Portable electromyography (EMG) sensors were used to measure lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle activity in each condition. Four descriptive statistics features in the time and frequency domains were extracted from the collected signals. Results of the t-test showed a significant difference in the physiological metrics extracted from the subjects’ EMG signals of the LES muscle. Findings demonstrated that using active exoskeletons reduces the internal muscle force in the lower back regions of construction workers.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Dideriksen, J. L., D. Farina, and R. M. Enoka. 2010. “Influence of fatigue on the simulated relation between the amplitude of the surface electromyogram and muscle force.” Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci, 368 (1920): 2765–2781. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. https://doi.org/10.1098/RSTA.2010.0094.
Ekpenyong, C. E., and U. C. Inyang. 2015. “Associations Between Worker Characteristics, Workplace Factors, and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study of Male Construction Workers in Nigeria.” International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 20 (3): 447–462. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2014.11077057.
von Glinski, A., E. Yilmaz, S. Mrotzek, E. Marek, B. Jettkant, A. Brinkemper, C. Fisahn, T. A. Schildhauer, and J. Geßmann. 2019. “Effectiveness of an on-body lifting aid (HAL® for care support) to reduce lower back muscle activity during repetitive lifting tasks.” Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 63: 249–255. Churchill Livingstone. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOCN.2019.01.038.
Godwin, A. A., J. M. Stevenson, M. J. Agnew, A. L. Twiddy, M. Abdoli-Eramaki, and C. A. Lotz. 2009. “Testing the efficacy of an ergonomic lifting aid at diminishing muscular fatigue in women over a prolonged period of lifting.” Int J Ind Ergon, 39 (1): 121–126. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERGON.2008.05.008.
Kobayashi, H., T. Aida, and T. Hashimoto. 2009. “Muscle Suit Development and Factory Application.” International Journal of Automation Technology, 3 (6): 709–715. Fuji Technology Press Ltd. https://doi.org/10.20965/IJAT.2009.P0709.
Linner, T., M. Pan, W. Pan, M. Taghavi, W. Pan, and T. Bock. 2018. “Identification of usage scenarios for robotic exoskeletons in the context of the Hong Kong construction industry.” ISARC 2018 - 35th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction and International AEC/FM Hackathon: The Future of Building Things. International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction I.A.A.R.C). https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2018/0006.
de Looze, M. P., T. Bosch, F. Krause, K. S. Stadler, and L. W. O’Sullivan. 2015. “Exoskeletons for industrial application and their potential effects on physical work load.” Ergonomics, 59 (5): 671–681. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2015.1081988.
Mirka, G. A. 1991. “The quantification of EMG normalization error.” Ergonomics, 34 (3): 343–352. Ergonomics. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139108967318.
Esther, S. 2019. “Exoskeletons today.” Commun ACM, 62 (3): 14–16. ACM PUB27 New York, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.1145/3303851.
Wang, X., X. S. Dong, S. D. Choi, and J. Dement. 2017. “Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers in the United States from 1992 to 2014.” Occup Environ Med, 74 (5): 374–380. Occup Environ Med. https://doi.org/10.1136/OEMED-2016-103943.
Weston, E. B., M. Alizadeh, G. G. Knapik, X. Wang, and W. S. Marras. 2018. “Biomechanical evaluation of exoskeleton use on loading of the lumbar spine.” Appl Ergon, 68: 101–108. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APERGO.2017.11.006.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Published online: Jan 25, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Construction engineering
- Construction management
- Employment
- Engineering fundamentals
- Equipment and machinery
- Fatigue (material)
- Labor
- Laboratory tests
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Measurement (by type)
- Occupational safety
- Personnel management
- Practice and Profession
- Probe instruments
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Safety
- Sensors and sensing
- Tests (by type)
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.