Carrying heavy objects in agricultural and industrial sites is the most basic labor, which requires a lot of energy. Many equipment such as crane, chain block, elevator, and forklift truck has been developed to reduce human power. Nevertheless, many tasks require human labor. In addition, rapid aging is increasing musculoskeletal diseases in industrial workers. Consequently, various muscle auxiliary wear robots and devices are being developed. In this study; a passive upper limbs exoskeleton (H-Frame) was developed to help carry over 20 kg of weight in industrial and agricultural sites. For the functional test of the developed H-Frame, tests were carried out for 20, 30, and 40 kg of each box. To measure the objective and numerical data of the H-Frame, various sensor values such as EMG (Electromyography), harness compression force sensor, and load cell value of side support and rope were measured. EMG and metabolic experiments were also performed on 8 subjects before and after wearing the device. The average value of the upper extremity muscle showed a 44% reduction effect after wearing. The device helped the wearer when carrying heavy objects. It could help prevent musculoskeletal diseases in industrial and agricultural fields.
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Comparative Analysis between IMU Signal-based Neural Network Models for Energy Expenditure Estimation Chang June Lee, Jung Keun Lee Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2024; 41(3): 191. CrossRef
For years, crane, a chain block, an elevator and a forklift truck have been developed and used to carry heavy loads, but manpower needed where heavy equipment use is not practical. Aging workers suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, and are helped by developing various muscle assisting wearable robots. Industrial wearable robots must meet the payload capacity required for the pilot"s overall operation to ensure safety and operational performance. However, the payload capacity of wearable robot using rotary actuator or linear actuator at the knee joint decreases dramatically in the knee-flexion posture, with reduced moment arms. To solve this problem, the author recommends using Single Acting Hydraulic Telescopic Cylinder Electro Hydrostatic Actuator (SAT-EHA) to increase the torque of the knee in the knee flexion position. The characteristic of telescopic cylinder is high speed in 1st stage and high force in 2nd stage. The Human Universal Mobility Assist-Hybrid (HUMA-H) was developed by designing and fabricating the waist joint to balance the front and rear directions using an electric motor driver. As the payload capacity increases, the robot pilots can squat and stand up with heavy loads. The performance was verified through the operation test and respiratory gas analysis test of the manufactured HUMA-H.
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Development of Passive Upper Limb Exoskeleton Device (H-Frame) for Augment the Load Carrying Capability of the Human Dong-Hyun Jeong, Do Yeon Kang, Ji Seck Lee Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2023; 40(4): 283. CrossRef