The Effects of Passive and Active Back Support Exoskeletons on Endurance, Perceived Exertion, and Back Discomfort During Fatigue-Induced Repetitive Lifting

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kazemi, Zeinab ; Shayan, Amir Mehdi ; Srinivasan, Divya
• Description:
  Back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) show promise for mitigating physical strain in industrial settings, yet their effectiveness during fatigue-inducing tasks remains underexplored. This study evaluated the effects of powered and unpowered BSEs on endurance, perceived exertion, and back discomfort during repetitive lifting. Sixteen participants lifted a box (15% body mass) at approx. 8 lifts/min until exhaustion under three conditions: no exoskeleton, unpowered, and powered. Endurance time (i.e., time-to-fatigue), number of lifting cycles, perceived exertion (RPE), and back discomfort (RPD) were recorded. The powered BSE significantly increased time-to-fatigue (p = .03) and number of lifting cycles (p = .03) compared to control. RPE increased over time across all conditions (p < .001) but was significantly lower with powered versus control (p = .015). The unpowered device showed a non-significant trend toward reduced RPE. Neither device significantly alleviated back-discomfort. These findings suggest powered exoskeletons may better regulate fatigue during repetitive lifting; however, further research should explore long-term biomechanics effects and user adaptation. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Ergonomics
  • Exoskeleton Devices
  • Fatigue
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Exoskeletons; Biomechanics; Ergonomics; Lifting; Fatigue; Repetitive work;
  • Author Keywords: back-support exoskeleton; fatigue; repetitive lifting; endurance
• Source:
  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 69th Annual Meeting, October 13-17, 2025, Chicago, Illinois. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2025 Sep; 69(1):588-590
• ISSN:
  1071-1813
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; Atlanta Region OSHA ; Birmingham Region OSHA ; South Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• Volume:
  69
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071648
• Contact Point Address:
  Divya Srinivasan, Department of Industrial Engineering & Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
• Email:
  sriniv5@clemson.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• End Date:
  20270630
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259421/cdc_259421_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 125.39 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:01aafde9a16f3ec340203143795ddce97188b205e63d09497acb575685846c0758cfeb0c2d652d5b17eb913a1b64569a1915fae6515c06ef4422b012ca3205fe