Preliminary evaluation of a passive upper-limb exoskeleton based on a new spring design.

Upper limb exoskeletons may be valuable tools to decrease the risk to develop musculoskeletal disorders, and their design may differ from one manufacturer to another. The aim of the present study is to evaluate a passive upper limb exoskeleton based on a new spring design comprised of composite spring rods. Twelve right-handed participants have performed three manual tasks: static overhead holding, manual handling, and load carrying, with and without the upper limb exoskeleton. EMG activity of the anterior deltoid and biceps brachii was significantly reduced across the three tasks when wearing the exoskeleton. These findings suggested that the upper limb exoskeleton based on this new spring device permitted to reduce shoulder-flexor muscular demand through the tested experimental tasks. Longer-duration, in-field studies are now required to assess the efficacy of this exoskeleton for workers and potential implications for MSD prevention.