The minimal exoskeleton, a passive exoskeleton to simplify pruning and fruit collection

Abstract

Terracing allows cultivation even in hilly regions but does not permit the use of conventional heavy machinery. Olive trees, grown on terraced lands, are harvested with a handheld long-shafted harvester that shakes the branches of the trees and makes olives fall over nets arranged around the trees. This relatively heavy and unbalanced hand-hold tool causes fatigue and articular-muscular disease to the operators. This paper presents a lightweight exoskeleton developed to help in the carrying and operating of such tools, reducing human effort and the incidence of long-term pathologies to the operators. This work describes the kinematics and design of the proposed exoskeleton, which is passive and “minimal”. A prototype of the exoskeleton has been produced and tested in the field.