The Amount of Support Provided by a Passive Arm Support Exoskeleton in a Range of Elevated Arm Postures

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSOur study quantified the extent of support provided by a passive arm-support exoskeleton throughout a range of postures. Mechanical support generated by the arm-support exoskeleton (SkelEx, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) that we tested clearly reaches its maximum at elevation angles ranging from 60° to 120°, where the required support is also highest. In contrast, for elevation angles below 30°, this exoskeleton provided significantly less support. Depending on the task, other support characteristics might be required. These results may help practitioners who are considering the adoption of an exoskeleton in the workplace. We advocate adapting mechanical support settings or effective range to the actual specific working envelope of postures.