Relationship Between Muscular Activity and Assistance Magnitude for a Myoelectric Model Based Controlled Exosuit

Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2020 · DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.595844 · Published: December 17, 2020

Simple Explanation

This study explores how much assistance an exosuit should provide to best support human movement. The goal is to find the right balance where the suit helps without causing jerky movements or interfering with the user's natural motion. Researchers tested different levels of exosuit assistance on healthy participants during daily tasks. They measured muscle activity and movement accuracy to see how the suit affected the user's biomechanics. The study found that higher levels of assistance generally led to reduced muscle activity in the assisted muscles. However, they also observed that excessive assistance could decrease movement speed, suggesting a trade-off between effort reduction and natural motion.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Ten healthy participants

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Increasing assistance from the exosuit leads to a reduction in the activity of the biceps brachii and pectoralis muscles, indicating reduced effort for the wearer.
2
The myoelectric-driven exosuit does not negatively impact movement smoothness, as indicated by the SPARC index remaining constant across different assistance levels.
3
Increased exosuit assistance leads to a significant reduction in biological torque at the elbow joint, demonstrating that the exosuit effectively shares the load.

Research Summary

The study investigates the relationship between assistance magnitude and muscular benefits for a myoelectric model-based controlled exosuit. The goal is to find an optimal level of assistance that reduces muscle activity without compromising movement quality. Ten healthy participants performed lifting and isometric tasks under varying levels of exosuit assistance. Muscle activity, kinematics, and biological torque were analyzed to assess the exosuit's impact. The results indicate that higher assistance levels reduce muscle activity and delay fatigue onset, while maintaining movement smoothness. However, excessive assistance can decrease movement speed. The study suggests that a myoelectric-driven exosuit can provide effective assistance without disrupting natural movement.

Practical Implications

Rehabilitation

The exosuit could be used to assist patients with motor impairments, reducing their effort and improving their movement quality during rehabilitation exercises.

Industrial Applications

The exosuit could be used in industrial settings to augment human strength and endurance, reducing the risk of fatigue and injury for workers performing physically demanding tasks.

Ergonomic Design

The study highlights the importance of considering ergonomics in exosuit design to avoid unwanted muscle activation and ensure a comfortable fit for the wearer.

Study Limitations

1
The exosuit prototype was tested only in a limited range of assistance.
2
Only a limited cohort of healthy participants was enrolled.
3
The study did not explore the participants’ feelings about using the device outside the lab.

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