Developing Standard Test for Evaluating Back-Support Exoskeleton Performance for Rebar Workers

Back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are wearable devices designed to assist and enable human motion for workers in various industries ranging from manufacturing to construction. As with workers in other industries, the opportunity provided by BSEs for construction workers is to reduce injury rates for the benefit of worker health and productivity. Potential risks also exist, including discomfort, compromised balance, snags, and increased stress in the unassisted regions of the body. The challenge comes in finding effective BSEs for specific construction trades working on specific project types. To meet this challenge, this project aims to design and execute a standard test course to evaluate the performance of back-support exoskeletons for rebar workers. An experiment will be performed according to the designed standard test course. The results of this experiment will inform future iterations of a standardized BSE efficacy evaluation framework for rebar workers. Laboratory studies can lead to field studies that may give evidence for practical BSE regulations, guidelines, and ergonomic risk indices for the construction industry. The evaluation framework will include the assessment of a BSE’s effects on safety, productivity, and acceptability, including a tool for estimating a BSE’s Return on Investment (ROI).

Faculty Supervisor:

Amin Hammad;Mazdak Nik-Bakht

Student:

Partner:

Biolift

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Concordia University

Program: