Conceptual design of smart passive exoskeleton for monitoring localized pressure and postural angle during sitting/standing tasks

Ahmad Apandi, Azmirul Hyzain (2022) Conceptual design of smart passive exoskeleton for monitoring localized pressure and postural angle during sitting/standing tasks. Project Report. Melaka, Malaysia, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. (Submitted)

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Abstract

In manufacturing industry, many workers perform their task processes in prolonged standing. Due to prolonged standing, workers experienced discomfort and muscle fatigue in the lower body parts such as back and legs. Engineering controls associated with sit-stand exoskeleton can be proposed to resolve these ergonomics issues. The limitations of the current commercial sit-stand exoskeletons are the stand is unable to extend automatically when needed, the base of the stand is not stable to stabilize the body posture for prolonged use, and lack of ergonomics feedback system to alert users in changing positions from sitting and standing, vice-versa. The objectives of this study are to determine users’ needs and design requirements of sit-stand exoskeleton, fabricate and evaluate the effects of the fabricated sit-stand exoskeleton on muscle activity and contact pressure, and integrate the sit-stand exoskeleton with a pressure sensor for alternating standing and sitting postures. An online survey using Google form was performed to determine the needs of industrial workers regarding design of the sit-stand exoskeleton. Ten healthy Malaysian young adults aged 21 – 30 years old were selected to study the effects of the sit-stand exoskeleton prototype on the muscle activity and the contact pressure in the buttock. Surface electromyography (EMG) instrument (Delsys, USA) was used to measured and analyzed EMG signals in the tibialis anterior, vastus lateralis, and gastrocnemius muscles. Meanwhile, Body Pressure Mat instrument (CONFORMat, USA) was applied to analyse the contact pressure between the buttock and the exoskeleton seat. As the outcome of the study, the questionnaire survey found that industrial workers suffered from musculoskeletal disorders due to prolonged standing. The industrial workers proposed the following features in the future sit-stand exoskeleton: portable, comfortable, low cost, stable, adjustable, lightweight, low movement restriction, good appearance, easy to use and having ergonomics feedback that can alert them so that they can alternately sit or stand while working. The EMG results showed that the sit-stand exoskeleton developed by this study was able to minimize muscle contraction up to 75 percent which is good enough for reducing muscle fatigue. Based on the results, this study concluded that the sit-stand exoskeleton developed by this study has shown a great potential to reduce the subjective discomfort and muscle fatigue caused by prolonged standing. The benefit of this study is that study hypothesized that the sit-stand exoskeleton prototype would be able to assist industrial engineers to alleviate the ergonomics risk associated with prolonged standing at workplace.

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