Development of a Multifunctional Test Station and a Reproducible Test Design for the Evaluation of Stress and Strain During Overhead Work with and Without Upper Body Exoskeletons

There is a variety of upper body exoskeletons, which are featured by different characteristics. Their benefits, but also their limitations and possible dangers should be fundamentally scientifically investigated. For this, test conditions that are as close to reality as possible, but also reproducible and standardized are essential. A test station for objectification of stress and strain during overhead work was designed and built. The requirement was that the test station could be variably adapted to the height of the human body. Moreover, it allows the simulation of different activity scenarios. In addition to the test station, an experimental design was also developed consisting of two screwing tasks and one plugging task. Each partial test had a total duration of 5 to 10 min, whereby the working speed was partly determined by a certain beat. The developed test design was subsequently validated with an exoskeleton (Airframe® by Levitate) and some test persons. For this purpose, the necessary measurement technology for recording heart rate, muscular strain and energy expenditure was applied and tested. Furthermore, a standardized questionnaire was developed and tested.