Effects of an occupational soft-back exoskeleton during order picking: a field study in logistics.

The use of exoskeletons is increasingly considered as a solution to reduce workers' exposure to physical risk factors, such as low-back disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the CORFOR occupational soft-back exoskeleton on trunk muscle activity and kinematics during an order picking manual task performed in the field. 10 workers, with at least 4 weeks' experience using the exoskeleton, performed a 1.5-hour order picking task with and without the exoskeleton. Trunk muscle activity, upper-body kinematics and the exoskeleton's acceptance were assessed. muscle activity was significantly reduced by 7.5% with the use of the exoskeleton. Moreover, trunk flexor muscles activity, trunk kinematics, or low-back pain were not affected. Further, the acceptance of the exoskeleton was rated as favourable. Thus, at least in the test company, the integration of the CORFOR exoskeleton for order picking tasks is promising.