Construction Exoskeletons to be Tested for Effectiveness

Brief 

Researchers at the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, plan to gather data from the use of donated exoskeletons at various construction sites to determine their effectiveness in curtailing work strain and injuries. The study could yield data that helps manufacturers enhance the exoskeletons.

Insight

Researchers at the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance (CISWP) at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. will be digging a little deeper into the possible benefits of using exoskeletons in the construction industry.Hilti Canada, which manufactures products and provides technology to make the construction industry safer, has contributed 15 exoskeletons to the college so more applied research can be conducted on the technology.

Exoskeletons are wearable structures that support and assist movement or augment the capabilities of the human body. Workers wear the suits or devices while doing strenuous tasks in order to avoid injury. The technology aims to provide better joint support, weight distribution and posture correction.

Researchers will be testing the exoskeletons at various construction worksites to find out if they do, in fact, have an impact in reducing the physical demands on workers and preventing workplaces injuries. Analysis of the data will also help them figure out if improvements could be made by manufacturers to the next generation of exoskeletons.

“We’ll be trying to collect data in the field while these construction workers perform their actual day-to-day tasks,” explains Dr. Amin Yazdani, director of the CIWSP. “There is not enough body of evidence around that field to really generate that evidence to really support the next generation of exoskeletons.”

While exoskeletons are being deployed in a greater variety of roles, they have not proven their worth to the degree that other robotic technologies like collaborative robots and autonomous navigation systems have, as they have limited power range and movement.