Every day, people partake in strenuous manual labor that results in injuries such as muscular strain and joint issues. This extreme stress is typically caused by repetitive and excessive use of biceps and forearms. This paper presents an inventive exoskeleton for the upper body that can potentially reduce and remedy these issues by selectively motorizing significant joints and adding structure to involved limbs. The motors also provide the benefit of an ergonomic design to further reduce any additional risk. The proposed design and prototype also aim to alleviate strain on the lower body by including back support with hopes of reinforcing injury-prone areas as well as increasing stability. Additionally, the inclusion of a back frame and supplementary weight distribution with the battery further underlines the focus on the safety of those performing repetitive manual labor. All of the aforementioned design aspects of motorized support and structural assistance hope to create an inventive solution to the negative effects of manual labor and allow for greater efficiency and safety.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Johnson, Christopher
• Delizo, Ilyssa
• Green, Mionna
• Frey, Matthew
• Dixon, Nathaniel

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 122285
• E-project-050124-123331

Advisor

• Rosendo, Andre
• Bhatia, Mehul A.
• Bitar, Stephen John

Year

• 2024

Date created

• 2024-05-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Robotics Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Source

• E-project-050124-123331

Rights statement

• In Copyright