Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Ali Golabchi, Andrew Chao, Mahdi Tavakoli
Summary: This article proposes a framework based on evaluation metrics, target tasks, and supported body postures to guide the assessment and selection of exoskeletons in industrial workplaces. It highlights the importance of incorporating subjective and objective measures, considering various tasks and postures, and aims to enhance the acceptance and adoption of exoskeletons while reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Slavka Net'ukova, Martin Bejtic, Christiane Mala, Lucie Horakova, Patrik Kutilek, Jan Kauler, Radim Krupicka
Summary: This article introduces the important criteria for sensors used in exoskeletons and the usage of various sensor types. It outlines the possibilities and limitations of special medical signal sensors and suggests potential directions for future exoskeleton developments.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Chukwuma Nnaji, Ifeanyi Okpala, John Gambatese, Ziyu Jin
Summary: This paper presents research on the safety risks and mitigation strategies associated with the use of exoskeletons in construction tasks. Through the Delphi method, 10 critical safety and health risks and 12 key safety risk mitigation strategies were identified. This research contributes to advancing construction worker safety and health research.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
P. R. A. N. A. V. M. A. D. H. A. V. KUBER, M. A. S. O. U. D. ABDOLLAHI, M. O. H. A. M. M. A. D. M. E. H. D. I. ALEMI, E. H. S. A. N. RASHEDI
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review of 31 studies to compare the approaches, techniques, and outcomes of field assessments for shoulder and back support i-EXOs. The findings showed that subjective approaches were more commonly reported than objective approaches, and there was high variability in experimental methodologies. A new guideline was proposed for field evaluation of i-EXOs, aiming to improve their testing and implementation.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Gugyeong Sung, Kyoungchul Kong, Jungsu Choi
Summary: Unlike able-bodied humans, people with paraplegia are unable to control their center of gravity. Powered exoskeletons, although they have been used to assist people with paraplegia to walk similarly to able-bodied people, may not be the best option because they are limited in their degrees of freedom and cannot help control the center of gravity. Therefore, research is needed to develop a suitable gait pattern for people with paraplegia wearing powered exoskeletons.
IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Andrea Blanco, Jose M. Catalan, David Martinez-Pascual, Jose Garcia-Perez, Nicolas Garcia-Aracil
Summary: This paper presents an experimental evaluation of an active upper-limb exoskeleton, which shows that the device can reduce cardiorespiratory responses and muscular activity, potentially useful for reducing muscular strain and fatigue in repetitive overhead tasks.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Phillip H. Daniel, Chenglong Fu, H. Harry Asada
Summary: This study examines the musculoskeletal impacts of a wearable robotic device and proposes a design and control method based on a musculoskeletal model and experimental data. By analyzing the predicted effect of the device, human body movements, and muscular activity, and verifying the model through experiments, the study identifies the optimal control strategy and design parameters to minimize muscular load on the human body.
Article
Robotics
Mihai Dragusanu, Muhammad Zubair Iqbal, Tommaso Lisini Baldi, Domenico Prattichizzo, Monica Malvezzi
Summary: Robotic devices for rehabilitation and training have a potentially huge social impact by increasing efficiency, providing supplementary information, reducing physiotherapists' efforts, and encouraging autonomy in disabled individuals. This article introduces a wearable and easy-to-control hand/wrist exoskeleton that can be used collaboratively or autonomously, with a focus on user-centered design.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Dilruba Mahmud, Sean T. T. Bennett, Zhenhua Zhu, Peter G. G. Adamczyk, Michael Wehner, Dharmaraj Veeramani, Fei Dai
Summary: Exoskeletons and exosuits have the potential to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in construction workplaces. However, the knowledge required for the acceptance and application of this technology is still lacking. This research aims to identify the facilitators, barriers, and corresponding solutions to foster the adoption of exoskeletons in construction workplaces.
Review
Computer Science, Information Systems
Tommaso Proietti, Emilia Ambrosini, Alessandra Pedrocchi, Silvestro Micera
Summary: This work provides an overview of the development of upper-limb rehabilitation assistive technologies, discussing three major revolutions in the field (end-effector robots, rigid exoskeletons, and soft exosuits), and reviewing the application of these technologies in clinical populations. By critically analyzing and comparing the technologies, it aims to identify new potential directions for development.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xin Wang, Dharmaraj Veeramani, Zhenhua Zhu
Summary: This article proposes a system for recognizing construction workers' hand gestures using wearable sensors on fingers. The system extracts motion data by synchronizing, normalizing, and smoothing finger motions and uses an enhanced fully convolutional neural network (FCN) for gesture recognition. The system achieved a precision and recall of 85.7% and 93.8% respectively in the system validation test. A pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of using the proposed system to interact with a robotic dump truck. Furthermore, the system was compared with vision-based recognition methods to assess their relative advantages and limitations quantitatively and qualitatively.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Stefano Massardi, David Pinto-Fernandez, Jan Babic, Miha Dezman, Andrej Trost, Victor Grosu, Dirk Lefeber, Carlos Rodriguez, Jule Bessler, Leendert Schaake, Gerdienke Prange-Lasonder, Jan F. Veneman, Diego Torricelli
Summary: This paper presents the results of a survey on how hazards are considered by exoskeleton users. Misalignments and unintended device motion are identified as key aspects for exoskeletons' safety. The survey aims to contribute to future risk assessments and better mitigation strategies.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jeonghwan Lee, Tunc Akbas, James Sulzer
Summary: Wearable assistive technology has shown promise in improving gait function for individuals with neuromuscular injuries, but secondary impairments like hyperreflexia have often been overlooked. This study explores a biomechanical predictor set that accurately predicts hyperreflexia in the rectus femoris muscle after knee flexion assistance. The study suggests that controlling knee and hip kinematics may be a more practical method of incorporating hyperreflexia into the exoskeleton control loop than measuring muscle fiber properties.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Athar Ali, Vigilio Fontanari, Werner Schmoelz, Sunil K. Agrawal
Summary: Back support exoskeletons are being developed to support the spine and distribute the spine load, aiming to reduce lower back pain and musculoskeletal injuries for workers engaged in physical workload and manual material handling tasks. However, various technical challenges and a lack of established safety standards limit the widespread adoption of exoskeletons in industry.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Stefano Massardi, David Rodriguez-Cianca, David Pinto-Fernandez, Juan C. Moreno, Matteo Lancini, Diego Torricelli
Summary: Exoskeletons and exosuits have experienced significant growth in recent years, particularly in the medical and industrial sectors. However, the study of physical human-exoskeleton interactions (pHEI) has been lacking. Understanding and identifying the technological means to assess pHEI is crucial for the acceptance and widespread use of these devices in the future. This review aims to assist the wearable robotics community in reaching consensus on interaction quality and safety assessment testing procedures.