Ergonomic Effects of Using a Professional Passive Exoskeleton

In the researchers' words

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD), multifactorial diseases that affect the working population and which can be caused and/or aggravated by work and occupational exposures, continue to Prevention interventions for these pathologies have recently made use of technological advancement, which has made external devices available for the assistance of human activities, i.e. occupational exoskeletons (EXO). Despite the suggestive potential inherent in these devices, their actual adoption in the working and industrial world is still uncertain due to the absence of evidence on their effectiveness, safety of use and appropriateness. The use of EXO increases the user's ability to carry out manual tasks in different work contexts, lightening the perception of physical effort and promoting higher levels of safety, as well as promoting better performance. These advantages derive from the effective reduction in muscle activity that the use of EXO allows. A certain variability in the effects was referred to factors such as the type of work task, the type of exoskeleton adopted, the duration of use of the exoskeleton, as well as to individual differences and different behaviours at work. The field studies, carried out so far in the automotive, manufacturing, logistics and agriculture sectors, are fundamental to understanding the actual effectiveness, practicality, safety and…