Support Effect and Simulation Evaluation of Lifting Motion Using Non-Wearing Type Power Assist Device

Abstract

One of the serious problems that Japan has been facing is its growing aging society, which causes a shortage of young workers in the nursing field to support care recipients and in other industries that require heavy labor. Many workers in these workplaces experience back pain. To reduce the burden on the lower back, the squat method is generally recommended when workers lift heavy objects. Many assist devices have been developed to reduce the burden on the body; however, most wearing type devices have difficulty performing the squat method owing to their mechanical constraints. In a previous study, we developed a non-wearing type pneumatic power assist device that considers the squat method and evaluated its support effects during a simple lifting motion. In this study, we developed a passive type assist device and a previously developed active type device and quantitatively evaluated their effectiveness in lifting motions. In addition, we analyzed muscle activity using a musculoskeletal simulator.