Park, HanjunKim, SunwookNussbaum, Maury A.Srinivasan, Divya2021-12-102021-12-102022-01-010003-6870S0003-6870(21)00236-2 (PII)http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106932Whole-body powered exoskeletons (WB-PEXOs) can be effective in reducing the physical demands of heavy occupational work, yet almost no empirical evidence exists on the effects of WB-PEXO use. This study assessed the effects of WB-PEXO use on back and leg muscle activities during lab-based simulations of load handling tasks. Six participants (4M, 2F) completed two such tasks (load carriage and stationary load transfer), both with and without a WB-PEXO, and with a range of load masses in each task. WB-PEXO use reduced median levels of muscle activity in the back (∼42–53% in thoracic and ∼24–43% in lumbar regions) and legs (∼41–63% in knee flexors and extensors), and mainly when handling loads beyond low-moderate levels (10–15 kg). Overall, using the WB-PEXO also reduced inter-individual variance (smaller SD) in muscle activities. Future work should examine diverse users, focus on finding effective matches between WB-PEXO use and specific tasks, and identify applications in varied work environments.12 page(s)application/pdfenIn CopyrightSocial SciencesTechnologyEngineering, IndustrialErgonomicsPsychology, AppliedEngineeringPsychologyHuman augmentationOccupational exoskeletonElectromyographyBIOMECHANICAL DESIGNQUADRICEPS FEMORISEMGCOMPLEXAID1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences1116 Medical Physiology1203 Design Practice and ManagementHuman FactorsExoskeleton DeviceHumansLegLumbosacral RegionMuscle, SkeletalPilot ProjectsArticle - Refereed2021-12-10https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2021.10358998Nussbaum, Maury [0000-0002-1887-8431]345637481872-9126