Effects of a powered and automated cargo management system on the biomechanical variables of workers during ladder lifting tasks: A pilot study

Portable ladders are used by workers in industries such as construction, electrical, and telecommunications. A new powered and automated cargo management system, the RazerLift, has been designed to assist workers during portable ladder lifting tasks. The objective of this study is to investigate whether this system improves the biomechanical variables of workers during ladder lifting tasks. Each participant will perform a ladder lifting task using a powered and automated cargo management system. The biomechanical variables will be calculated during the ladder lifting tasks. Specialized software will be used to calculate these biomechanical variables. In addition, paper-based questionnaires will be administered to the participants after conducting the lifting tasks to determine their acceptance and the usability of the system. The partner organization will benefit by having its product validated for use by its clients. The feedback will also help the partner organization to scale up its product by marketing it to a wider range of users and/or industries.

Faculty Supervisor:

Antonio Miguel Cruz;Lili Liu;Adriana Maria Rios Rincon;Adriana Rios Rincon

Student:

Partner:

Buller Engineered Products Ltd

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program: