Effects of the IronHand® Soft Exoskeleton on Forearm Muscle Activity During in Field Automotive Assembly Tasks.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSWhen compared to not using a soft-hand exoskeleton, the IronHand^® caused both increases and decreases in forearm muscle activity while completing automotive assembly tasks. Surprisingly, although there were reductions in muscle activity when wearing the IronHand^®, only a few of these decreases resulted in muscle activity changing such that they fell to below recommended ergonomic thresholds. Despite this, some individuals in our study clearly benefited from the device, and this suggests that there is potential for widespread use of such a device if fine tuned to the individual and task demands. Much work is still required for a design that will allow for optimal physical benefit.