Testing Occupational Exoskeleton Performance in Different Types of Construction Activities

Occupational exoskeletons (OEs), including arm-support exoskeletons (ASEs) and 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 ASEs and 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 OEs for specific construction trades working on specific project types. To meet this challenge, this project aims to evaluate the performance of OEs in different types of construction activities under a variety of actual site conditions. The evaluation framework will include the assessment of the effects on health and productivity of both an ASE and a BSE. The testing will involve a large number of workers with a variety of attributes, including gender, age, and workers with prior injuries.

Faculty Supervisor:

Amin Hammad;Mazdak Nik-Bakht;Nancy St-Onge

Student:

Partner:

Hydro-Quebec

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Professional, scientific and technical services; Utilities

University:

Concordia University

Program: