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Evaluation of a Soft Exoskeleton to Support Forward Leaning and Lifting

NCT ID: NCT05097612

Last Updated: 2023-11-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-11-08

Study Completion Date

2022-01-31

Brief Summary

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In this study the LiftSuit version 2.0 designed by Auxivo AG will be used. The LiftSuit is a soft wearable device that is designed to support workers perform physically demanding tasks including repetitive lifting and working in forward leaning positions. It is put on like a backpack and attached to the body using fabric bands and cuffs. Besides soft fabric parts the LiftSuit contains elastics elements. The elastic elements can be flexibly exchanged by the experimenter. For this experiment elastic elements of known stiffness will be hooked into the fabric frame.

Detailed Description

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In a first step participants will try on the LiftSuit exoskeleton and adjust it to their body under supervision of the experimenter. When the LiftSuit exoskeleton is adjusted to the participant it is taken off to allow placement of sensors. The sensors used to record heart rate (Polar H9 heart rate monitor, Polar Electro Europe AG, Germany), muscle activity from 8 muscles in the back and hip region (Delsys Trigno, Delsys Europe, United Kingdom) and movement kinematics (OptiTrack motion capture system, NaturalPoint Inc., USA) will be placed by the experimenter (or participant him/herself). To verify that the electromyography sensors, are working and to obtain normalization values, participants will be instructed to conduct maximal voluntary contractions of each muscle that are being recorded. If needed single sensors can be replaced. After this the exoskeleton will be put back on.

Conditions

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Occupational Exposure

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Healthy participant

This is a repeated measures design. All participants receive both the intervention and the placebo comparator.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Placebo LiftSuit Exoskeleton

Intervention Type DEVICE

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). In this condition the EES are removed from the device to create a placebo device.

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (low support level)

Intervention Type DEVICE

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (medium support level)

Intervention Type DEVICE

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (high support level)

Intervention Type DEVICE

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

Interventions

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Placebo LiftSuit Exoskeleton

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). In this condition the EES are removed from the device to create a placebo device.

Intervention Type DEVICE

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (low support level)

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

Intervention Type DEVICE

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (medium support level)

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

Intervention Type DEVICE

LiftSuit Exoskeleton (high support level)

The LiftSuit is a soft passive wearable device that is designed to support the hip and back muscles during forward leaning and lifting. It exerts it function through Elastic Energy Storages (EES). EES of different three different levels of stiffness (low, medium, high stiffness) will be used.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Included will be volunteers of both sexes within working age (18 to 65 years).

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants will be excluded if they cannot perform the tasks (squat lifting and forward leaning) due to physical limitations. Furthermore, people who report acute joint or muscle pain or stiffness, or a self-reported history of such problems will be excluded.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Auxivo AG

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Olivier Lambercy, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Locations

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ETH Zurich, Rehabilitation Engeineering Laboratory

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

Other Identifiers

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ETH EK 2021-N-151

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id