Design and Performance Evaluation of a Custom 3D Printed Thumb Orthosis to Reduce Occupational Risk in an Automotive Assembly Line

Abstract

The main goal of this research was to develop a custom made 3D printed thumb orthosis model prototype, able to reduce the necessary effort during part assembly in an automotive industry. Several materials and models were designed, 3D printed and evaluated using surface electromiography. Results show a significant reduction of the evaluated sEMG parameters when using the proposed orthosis that can lead to a decrease in occupational risk.