Evaluation of exoskeletons in the company
Exoskeletons are available on the market and are more and more implemented in companies, because in theory exoskeletons support the operator during different industrial activities and consequently the risk of overload and injuries is reduced. Different exoskeletons are available on the market:
- Passive and active
- Back, shoulder and lower extremity
The question remains which exoskeleton is best suited for certain activities on the work floor? Will the exoskeleton effectively support the operator? What will be the cost-benefit? Will the implementation of novel technology be accepted by industrial workers?
To investigate whether exoskeletons are effective physiological (muscle activity EMG and so forth) and biomechanical data (movement patterns and so forth) will be gathered in the company with mobile measurement devices. In the consortium BruBotics (https://www.brubotics.eu/) we collaborate with social scientists from VUB (research group SMIT) to determine the level of acceptance of all employees from the company and on the level of the individual and in group (using focus groups and interviews).
Contact: Kevin.De.Pauw@vub.be
