Back-support exoskeletons are commonly used in the workplace to reduce low back pain risk for workers performing demanding activities. However, for the assistance of tasks differing from lifting, back-support exoskeletons potential has not been exploited extensively. This work focuses on the use of an active back-support exoskeleton to assist carrying. Two control strategies are designed that modulate the exoskeleton torques to comply with the task assistance requirements. In particular, two gait phase detection frameworks are exploited to adapt the assistance according to the legs' motion. The two strategies are assessed through an experimental analysis on ten subjects. Carrying task is performed without and with the exoskeleton assistance. Results prove the potential of the presented controls in assisting the task without hindering the gait movement and improving the usability experienced by users. Moreover, the exoskeleton assistance significantly reduces the lumbar load associated with the task, demonstrating its promising use for risk mitigation in the workplace.

翻译：背部支撑外骨骼常用于工作场所，以降低从事高强度活动工人的下背痛风险。然而，对于搬运等不同于举升任务的辅助作业，背部支撑外骨骼的潜力尚未得到充分开发。本研究聚焦于利用主动式背部支撑外骨骼辅助搬运活动。我们设计了两种控制策略，通过调节外骨骼力矩来满足任务辅助需求。具体而言，采用两种步态相位检测框架，根据腿部运动自适应调整辅助力度。通过对十名受试者的实验分析评估两种策略，在有无外骨骼辅助条件下分别执行搬运任务。结果表明，所提出的控制方法能在不干扰步态运动的前提下有效辅助任务，并提升用户体验的易用性。此外，外骨骼辅助显著降低了与任务相关的腰椎负荷，展现了其在工作场所风险缓解中的应用前景。