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Assessing the potential for “undesired” effects of passive back-support exoskeleton use during a simulated manual assembly task: Muscle activity, posture, balance, discomfort, and usability
Back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are wearable systems designed to reduce physical demands on the back, but which could have undesired effects beyond this design intention. Participants (n = 18) used two commercial BSEs to complete a brief (~15–20 s) simulated manual assembly task in varying conditions, with outcome measures that included: working posture, activity levels in “secondary” muscle groups (shoulders and thighs), perceived balance, discomfort, and usability. Using a BSE led to small and inconsistent changes in working postures (e.g., < ~14° change in lumbar flexion), muscular activity in the secondary muscle groups (<±2% of maximum voluntary isometric contractions), or perceived balance. Limitations in movement were reported for both BSEs, however, along with moderate levels of discomfort. Task-specific responses were evident for all outcome measures, though these depended on the specific BSE used and differed between genders in many cases. Future work should focus on interactions between a given user, BSE design, and task conditions.
•Undesired outcomes of two passive back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) were examined.•BSEs had task-specific effects on posture and discomfort during an assembly task.•Effects of a BSE often differed between task conditions, BSE designs, and genders.•BSE use had no major effects on activity levels in muscles other than the back.•Relatively large variations were found regarding usability of the BSEs.