Reducing Lumbar Extensor Exertion in Lifting Tasks With a Powered Back Exosuit

OBJECTIVE: The study seeks to determine whether a powered, cable-driven exosuit has the potential to lower the lumbar muscle activity and overall metabolic expenditure of symmetric and asymmetric lifting tasks. METHODS: A lightweight, cable-driven back exosuit, using a three-state impedance controller, was developed to provide variable assistance based on user posture. Experimental electromyography (EMG), metabolic cost, and user preferenc data were recorded for ten participants evaluated wearing the powered back exosuit versus the backX, a commercially available passive back support exoskeleton, and a no exo baseline. RESULTS: Both exoskeletons significantly reduced (p$< $0.05) muscle activation of certain lumbar flexor and extensor muscles when compared to a no exo condition across all conditions tested, though neither significantly reduced the metabolic cost associated with lifting. Users tended to prefer lifting with the powered device as opposed to the passive or no exo condition. CONCLUSION: Despite the increased mass of powered back support exoskeletons, these devices can reduce lumbar muscle activity to a similar degree as passive exoskeletons, and are favored by users over their passive counterparts. SIGNIFICANCE: While current powered back support devices tend to incur the cost of being heavy, rigid, and inconvenient for certain lifting postures, these results show that cable-driven powered devices may minimize these factors to the point that they are favored over the currently popular passive devices on the market.