OC-System taking part in a comparative study on exoskeletons

The study aims to lighten the workload in tasks that involve long periods of overhead work. Research participants, including painters from OC-System, will be taking part in measurements during the summer and testing the benefits of an external skeleton structure. A couple of participants are still needed.

In March, JAMK University of Applied Sciences began a research project comparing exoskeletons currently on the market in Finland. An exoskeleton is an external skeleton structure you wear to ease manual labor. It lightens the workload in prolonged working with your arms elevated, e.g., in warehouses and installation and painting tasks. Exoskeletons have already been being developed for a long time, but they have only been available commercially for a few years.

JAMK studies the benefits of a novel support structure

“Prior studies have been limited in scope and do not allow for comparisons. No study has compared all exoskeletons available on the Finnish market. We wish to discover which is the most usable when working with arms held up,” says Senior Researcher Juha-Pekka Kulmala from JAMK, who is responsible for the study.

Strain on the muscles lightened by up to a quarter

It is vital that the devices are tested under actual working conditions. Funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund, the study begins with a laboratory measurement where the participants’ work performances are measured with and without the exoskeleton. In the second stage of the project, the same measurements are carried out at the participants’ workplaces.

“Here, two things are of particular interest. Firstly, how does the muscle activity change and does the activity decrease when using an exoskeleton? Secondly, does the exoskeleton change the movement and work technique? You should always test how the device works in a particular task. Laboratory results can be positive, but the operation of the device in the actual working environment must always be checked on a case-by-case basis,” Kulmala says.

What is known about the benefits of exoskeletons so far? According to Kulmala, the devices decrease physical stress and stress-based ailments and injuries.

“Prior research has provided positive results. In work carried out with elevated hands, the Skelex exoskeleton lightens the load on muscles by 15–25 percent, depending on the task and the level of load. In this study, we are expecting similar results from the products of other manufacturers,” Kulmala explains.

Going forward, the researcher is interested in the long-term impacts. Being such new technology, no follow-up studies on exoskeletons have yet been carried out.

Designed to facilitate working at shoulder level or above

According to Kulmala, exoskeletons are currently used the most in industry. He expects that the use of the devices will become more common in future. But who can and cannot benefit from an exoskeleton? The key factor is the nature of the work.

“The devices are designed to facilitate working at shoulder level or above. If the job includes different working positions and no work with elevated arms, the device can be in the way. The size of the person may also limit the use of an exoskeleton,” Kulmala explains.

Exoskeletons can also offer assistance elsewhere. In his other job at Helsinki University Hospital, Kulmala studies exoskeletons that assist walking.

“We are partly at a prototype stage there. In the future, exoskeletons can be used to facilitate tasks where people are not replaced by robots,” Kulmala says.

OC-System joined to improve health and safety at work

OC-System is one of the companies included in the JAMK research project. Among the participants are three painters from OC-System whose work tasks could likely benefit from an exoskeleton.

“By participating in the study, we wish to improve occupational safety and look for ways to help our employees,” OC-System’s Managing Director Riku Räisänen summarizes.

Räisänen became interested in the topic after noticing exoskeletons being presented at trade fairs and introduced onto the markets. The price is not an issue, as he sees it as an investment in employee well-being.

The findings of the research project are expected in June next year, at the completion of the project. The study aims to include 12 participants. There is still room for one company and a couple of participants.

Photographs: JAMK