Influence of hinge positioning on human joint torque in industrial trunk exoskeleton

This paper deals with the problem of human efforts reduction in manual handling and lifting tasks for industry. Recent studies pointed out that more than 50% of workers suffer from low back pain. In these cases, a human assistance could be useful for increasing the quality of life. In this paper, a conceptual investigation on human body with a wearable exoskeleton for assistance is presented. A 3D human multibody model has been developed and its behaviour has been validated with the human one in manual handling and lifting tasks loads. The presented study demonstrates how the motion behaviour of a 3D human model with two joints between legs and trunk, instead of one, helps a human-like comparison between human and model. In particular, the important results of this paper underline how the human torques may be appropriately reduced modifying the position of exoskeleton’s joints. The output of the research are important for the conceptual exoskeletons design conceived for human assistance.