Muscle Suit Development and Factory Application

Abstract

Technological progress has liberated most industrial personnel in developed nations from heavy lifting tasks. Such work remains largely unchanged, however, in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, among others. Such tasks are an important issue due to their potential for triggering work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The use of the McKibben artificial muscle has opened the way to the introduction of “muscle suits” - compact, lightweight, reliable, wearable “assist-bots” enabling factory personnel to lift and carry weights greater than conventionally possible.