Exoskeleton-centered Process Optimization in Advanced Factory Environments

Constantinescu, Carmen; Popescu, Daniela; Muresan, Paul-Cristian; Stana, Sebastian-Ioan

doi:10.1016/j.procir.2015.12.051

Cited by 23 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…To facilitate the successful assessment adoption of exoskeletons, a virtual reality‐based tool for the exoskeleton integration in industrial lines has been proposed that would aid in the identification of the optimal areas and tasks for application, the fine tuning of the active elements of the exoskeleton based on simulation results and the effective and safe training of workers into the correct use of different exoskeletons . Another proposal involves the use of digital human modeling to validate the benefits of exoskeleton for manual handling work and tested this approach in two industry sectors: car disassembly and automotive suppliers …”

Section: Adoption Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Howard

Murashov

Lowe

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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Exoskeleton devices are being introduced across several industry sectors to augment, amplify, or reinforce the performance of a worker's existing body components-primarily the lower back and the upper extremity. Industrial exoskeletons may play a role in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders arising from lifting and handling heavy materials or from supporting heavy tools in overhead work. However, wearing an exoskeleton may pose a number of risks that are currently not well-studied. There are only a few studies about the safety and health implications of wearable exoskeletons and most of those studies involve only a small number of participants. Before the widespread implementation of industrial exoskeletons occurs, there is need for prospective interventional studies to evaluate the safety and health effectiveness of exoskeletons across various industry sectors. Developing a research strategy to fill current safety and health knowledge gaps, understanding the benefits, risks, and barriers to adoption of industrial exoskeletons, determining whether exoskeleton can be considered a type of personal protective equipment, and advancing consensus standards that address exoskeleton safety, should be major interests of both the occupational safety and health research and practice communities. K E Y W O R D S exoskeleton, human augmentation, intervention effectiveness, PPE

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Section: Adoption Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Howard

Murashov

Lowe

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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show abstract

“…Such results and ergonomic evaluations are conducted with analysis of simulations [10], where exoskeletons are worn virtually [11] in manufacturing facilities. Likewise, an increase in quality [12] and optimization was traceable in some areas [13,14]. Compared to other static technical assistant systems [15], bodyworn exoskeletons are intuitively operable.…”

Section: Problem Statement and Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The paper defines Smart Exoskeletons as devices which can be customized in variable combinations for supporting the worker's body. The required modules can be arms and the trunk [13]. We enhance our definition toward technical adaptivity of the Smart Adaptive Exoskeletons, which are easily adjustable for the specific workplace (working over the head, assembly, etc.…”

Section: Challenges and Specific Requirements For Integration Of Exosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodology of Employing Exoskeleton Technology in Manufacturing by Considering Time-Related and Ergonomics Influences

Dahmen

Constantinescu

2020

Applied Sciences

Self Cite

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This article presents a holistic methodology for planning, optimization and integration of exoskeletons for human-centered workplaces, with a focus on the automotive industry. Parts of current and future challenges in this industry (i.e., need of flexible manufacturing but as well having demographic change) are the motivation for this article. This challenges should be transformed in positive effectiveness by integrating of exoskeletons regarding this article. Already published research work from authors are combined in a form of summary, to get all relevant knowledge, and especially results, in a coherent and final context. This article gives interested newcomers, as well as experienced users, planners and researchers, in exoskeleton technology an overview and guideline of all relevant parts: from absolute basics beginning until operative usage. After fixing the motivation with resulting three relevant research questions, an introduction to the exoskeleton technology and to the current challenges in planning and optimizing the ergonomics and efficiency in manufacturing are given. A first preselection method (called ExoMatch) is presented to find the most suitable exoskeleton for workplacesm by filtering and matching all the important analyzed attributes and characteristics under consideration to all relevant aspects from environments. The next section treats results regarding an analysis of influencing factors by integrating exoskeletons in manufacturing. In particular, ergonomic-related and production-process-related (especially time-management) influences identified and researched in already published works are discussed. The next important step is to present a roadmap as a guideline for integration exoskeleton. This article gives relevant knowledge, methodologies and guidelines for optimized integrating exoskeleton for human-centered workplaces, under consideration of ergonomics- and process-related influences, in a coherent context, as a result and summary from several already published research work.

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“…Rather, studies have been predicated on the assumption that exoskeletons will be used in a particular phase (e.g. Constantinescu et al, 2016;Djuric et al, 2016;Karvouniari et al, 2018;Spada et al, 2017a;Sylla et al, 2014), i.e. papers do not provide comparative analysis.…”

Section: Research Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoskeletons

Fox

Aranko²,

Heilala

et al. 2019

JMTM

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Purpose-Exoskeletons are mechanical structures that humans can wear to increase their strength and endurance. The purpose of this paper is to explain how exoskeletons can be used to improve performance across five phases of manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach-Multivocal literature review, encompassing scientific literature and the grey literature of online reports, etc., to inform comprehensive, comparative and critical analyses of the potential of exoskeletons to improve manufacturing performance. Findings-There are at least eight different types of exoskeletons that can be used to improve human strength and endurance in manual work during different phases of production. However, exoskeletons can have the unintended negative consequence of reducing human flexibility leading to new sources of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and accidents. Research limitations/implications-Findings are relevant to function allocation research concerned with manual production work. In particular, exoskeletons could exacerbate the traditional trade-off between human flexibility and robot consistency by making human workers less flexible. Practical implications-The introduction of exoskeletons requires careful health and safety planning if exoskeletons are to improve human strength and endurance without introducing new sources of MSD and accidents. Originality/value-The originality of this paper is that it provides detailed information about a new manufacturing technology: exoskeletons. The value of this paper is that it provides information that is comprehensive, comparative and critical about exoskeletons as a potential alternative to robotics across five phases of manufacturing.

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Exoskeleton-centered Process Optimization in Advanced Factory Environments

Cited by 23 publications

References 8 publications

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Industrial exoskeletons: Need for intervention effectiveness research

Methodology of Employing Exoskeleton Technology in Manufacturing by Considering Time-Related and Ergonomics Influences

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