Exoskeletons for Manual Handling: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is a common issue in many occupations involving manual handling activities. In order to aid manual workers in reducing the burden on the musculoskeletal system, various wearable robotic technologies have been developed over the years. An increase in research work on wearable technologies has been observed, particularly in the last decade. In that context, this article presents a comprehensive review and a bibliometric analysis of the recorded occupational exoskeletons for manual handling since 2010. The review is aimed at identifying the paradigm shifts of research in the recent past and associating the trends pertaining to the applications, mechanisms, and control systems in the development of wearable devices for manual handling. The scope of the review limits itself to active and passive exoskeletons designed to support the upper extremity, lower extremity, and spine for performing load lifting, load carrying, or static holding. The analysis of the results revealed the emerging trends with the aim of providing researchers with areas for improvement and suggestions for different clusters of devices.