Towards Reducing Risk of Injury in Nursing: Design and Analysis of a New Passive Exoskeleton for Torso Twist Assist

Nursing is among the most physically challenging occupations and involves intensive lifting activities often including twisting of torso while performing tasks such as patient handling. Frequent repetitive body known to induce large demands on musculature, which may lead MSD with direct indirect costs hospital governance. One solution proposed through this article includes an exoskeleton specifically designed assist in movements trunk. This a double-actuator fully passive system that assists rotation help mechanical springs cable modules. Our study provides conceptual design mechanism, preliminary analysis using concepts kinematics, dynamics, usability, wearability, freedom movement. Results show mechanism could offer for wearer’s up 52, 25 22 degrees (with stationary hip joint) along transverse, sagittal coronal planes, respectively. Moreover, similar force generation (up 80N) was obtained both actuators same transverse plane directions combination spring stiffness (0.5 – 1 N/mm) damping (0.1 - 0.5 N-sec/mm) parameters. also be integrated current exoskeletons form module beneficial more general work settings.