Ergonomic support system for construction worker's hand arm for lifting tasks

Abstract

In this paper, a novel passive arm exoskeleton is introduced to assist the construction workers in load lifting/carrying tasks. The exoskeleton is designed based on torsion springs to generate assistive torque at the elbow and wrist joint and can fully support the weight of 8 kg task load. Static simulation of the springs and arm bracing was performed to check the correctness of the design parameters in ANSYS. The exoskeleton is extremely lightweight, economical, and easy to use as it provides a novel locking arrangement, which may allow workers to instantly disconnect the springs as per their need, making it highly suitable for the construction workers.