How Robots Can Support Balancing in Healthy People

Abstract

In manufacturing, construction, logistics, and other industrial tasks, human workers are required to handle and manipulate heavy loads such as loading packages in and out of warehouses, manipulating physical components on assembly lines, and more. However, repetitive manipulation of heavy loads can disrupt balance and lead to strains and injuries on the body, causing issues such as back pain. This concern is particularly significant in jobs involving awkward postures, e.g., aircraft and vehicle assembly and maintenance. To help address this challenge, we present a comprehensive scoping review examining robots capable of supporting physical balance in healthy individuals. Our analysis involved evaluating their capabilities, observing their functionality, and assessing their practicality. The majority of our findings (81%) were lower body exoskeletons, which, though highly mobile, can be constrained by slow control systems. Conversely, supernumerary robotic limbs and wearable gyroscopes allow unrestricted movement with less constrained control systems. Many experiments lack baseline comparisons without the robot, and some have limited participant recruitment, affecting representation. We recommend universally available testing procedures to effectively demonstrate and compare the capabilities of balance-supporting robots.