Manual labor is still strongly present in many industrial settings, such as aerospace or logistics. This often involves performing onerous tasks that require working in non-ergonomic conditions as well as moving and handling heavy objects.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are therefore a serious problem in many production settings, particularly with regard to the back of operators.
To solve this problem, research has long been active in the design and testing of exoskeletal devices. In addition to exoskeletons for upper and lower limb support and assistance, exoskeletons for targeted back support have also been studied, proposing both passive and active solutions.

The XSPINE project, funded by Eurobench and conducted in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, l’Università di Bologna, e Polibrixia s.r.l., aims to test and validate the prototype of an exoskeleton for back support proposed by the Istituto Dalle Molle di studi sull’intelligenza artificiale (IDSIA USI-SUPSI).

“Through this project, we aim to improve the working conditions of operators by reducing the musculoskeletal risks associated with strenuous work activities,” explains Loris Roveda, Senior Researcher SUPSI at IDSIA USI-SUPSI.

The design of the proposed device takes advantage of kinematic modeling of the back to support the operator while performing his or her tasks. In fact, the mechanism allows it to follow the person's movement, providing assistance passively, without the use of motors.

“Our device has the advantage of proposing a personalized and user-focused design, likewise it is characterized by its scalability and adaptability,” Roveda continues.

Future developments will include integrating the exoskeleton with motors to provide active assistance for the person, developing intelligent control algorithms capable of adapting to conditions of use and user behavior.