Semi-Active Exoskeletons for Forearm Muscle Strain Reduction

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ibrahim A ; Nnaji, Chukwuma ; Okpala I
• Description:
  Forearm- and hand-related musculoskeletal disorders are increasingly becoming a concern in the construction industry. Emerging solutions such as exoskeletons could play a significant role in reducing the risks associated with exerting forearm muscles. Exoskeletons are designed to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in occupational settings by providing support and reducing the strain on the body. However, there are limited studies focused on assessing the impact of exoskeletons designed to target forearm-related disorders. In response to this need, the present study evaluates the effectiveness of a semi-active glove exoskeleton for a simulated drilling task. The evaluation was conducted through a randomized controlled trial with 10 participants, who performed a drilling task with and without the exoskeleton. The participants' muscle activity was measured during both conditions. The results of the study show that the exoskeleton reduced muscle activity in the forearm, including the flexor digitorium superficialis (5.3%), extensor carpi radialis (5.7%), and flexor carpi ulnaris (0.5%). Additionally, the participants perceived the exoskeleton significantly reduced strains in the hand (36%; p-value = 0.016). The findings of this study suggest that forearm exoskeletons have the potential to reduce the risk of MSDs among construction workers during repetitive tasks. Although the reduction in muscle activation was marginal, the results provide impetus for future studies at the intersection of forearm MSD risk reduction and exoskeletons in the construction industry. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Electrical Equipment And Supplies Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Arm Injuries Construction Industry Emerging Technology Exoskeletons Hand Injuries MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Upper Extremities Wearable Technologies
• ISBN:
  9780784485248
• Publisher:
  American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069522
• Citation:
  Computing in Civil Engineering 2023: Resilience, Safety, and Sustainability - Selected Papers from the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2023, June 25-28, 2023, Corvalis, Oregon. Turkan Y, Louis J, Leite F, Ergan S, eds. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2024 Jan; :556-563
• Contact Point Address:
  Chukwuma Nnaji, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Construction Science, Texas A&M Univ., TX
• Email:
  cnnaji@tamu.edu
• Editor(s):
  Turkan Y; Louis J; Leite F; Ergan S
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Computing in Civil Engineering 2023: Resilience, Safety, and Sustainability - Selected Papers from the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2023, June 25-28, 2023, Corvalis, Oregon
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bcb23fb27ac727025054cac9119c03ecf408aac61f5ed86df00b7b384a100e8bd791199b09722a9235296a3baa9ec7241028e2c41c52f876dee6b5f796e6d29f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207946/cdc_207946_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 400.36 KB ]