Design Summary and Analysis (Final Draft)

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Subject: Design Summary and Analysis Final Draft

In the article “It's 2019 - Where’s My Super Suit”, Zelik (2019) explained about the significant and unique features of the exoskeleton made by his team. Furthermore, the writer described the current commercial versions of exoskeletons. The writer emphasizes that the main function of an exoskeleton is to reduce the risk of muscular injuries. However, current designs are not appealing to the public because they are cumbersome and costly. Hence, Zelik and his team endeavored to create a new prototype that boasts a series of new distinct features. One such feature includes a “clothing-like” appearance that resembles a super-suit consisting of a vest, switch, elastic bands and a pair of shorts. Another feature promotes free movement by switching off the assistance. The design also lacks batteries, motors, and protruding parts. This feature is essential as it provides a lightweight and seamless design. Lastly, the writer Zelik (2019) claims that through laboratory tests, it was discovered that turning on the suit reduced substantial loadings on the lower back.

Despite pointing out the advantages of his prototype and the benefits of using exoskeletons, the writer did not inform the readers of the many crucial repercussions when using the exoskeleton. These repercussions are an important aspect of developing the ideal exoskeleton, one that Zelik’s team is trying to produce.

The first critical repercussion that users will face will be the strains on joints. An exoskeleton helps to provide support to whichever muscle group the user is engaging. With that said, the joints will be forced to work harder while the user is using the exoskeleton. According to de Looze et al., (2015, as cited in McGowan 2018), studies have shown that with the help of exoskeleton, muscle labour is reduced by 10 to 40 percent, providing support to the individual. However, there were unforeseen consequences such as “increased muscle activity of other joints, specifically the legs” (McGowan, 2018). This would promote the accumulation of stress and eventually damaging their joints. Hence, with the focus on light and seamless design, Zelik and his team could solve this problem.

The next imperative repercussion is the effect that exoskeleton can have on the postural muscle. Users of the exoskeleton have to work harder to maintain posture stability which leads to increase engagement of the Erector Spinae (ES) and Transverse Abdominis (TA) muscles (Theurel et al., 2018). As stated by Sylla et al. (2014), while using a “unilateral upper-limb exoskeleton”, many users had to adjust their “postural strategy”. A study showed that while wearing the exoskeleton, users had to put in more effort to shift their center of gravity to perform a task (Sylla et al., 2014, as cited in Theurel et al., 2018). Higher engagement of postural muscles could progress into back pain. Nonetheless, Zelik and his team’s aim of decreasing the weight and restrictive forces of the prototype could potentially reduce stress on postural muscles.

The final vital repercussion will be the discomfort that the user will experience while using the exoskeleton. This is mainly caused by the straps and joints of the equipment. Researchers developed sensors to measure the pressure created by “physical human-machine interfaces” and provide an assessment of the level of skin or body pressure caused by the fastening straps (Tamez-Duque et al., 2015, as cited in Gorgey 2015). Tamez-Duque et al. (2015) state that the “thigh straps” could lead to pressure going from 80 to 120 mmHg (millimeters of Mercury) while engaging in upright movements. This would affect around 70 percent of people with spinal cord injury as they are vulnerable to skin damage, even with a small amount of shear (Saladin et al., 2009, Groah et al., 2015, as cited in Gorgey, 2018). With all that being said, the implementation of the switch made by Zelik’s team would give users the choice to switch off the assistance, leading to a decrease in the strain caused by the straps.

In conclusion, these repercussions caused by the exoskeleton affects the user in multiple ways and would be one of the reasons why some potential users are not ready to accept exoskeletons as a way of life. Zelik (2019) and his team is going in the right direction by making the design more ergonomic and functional, pushing the potential of the exoskeleton to a whole new level.




            References

Gorgey, A. S. (2018). Robotic exoskeletons: The current pros and cons. World journal of orthopedics, 9(9), 112. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v9.i9.112

McGowan, B. (2018). Industrial Exoskeletons: What You're Not Hearing. Occupational Health & Safety, 1. Retrieved from https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2018/10/01/Industrial-Exoskeletons-What-Youre-Not-Hearing.aspx?m=1&Page=1

Theurel, J., Desbrosses, K., Roux, T., & Savescu, A. (2018). Physiological consequences of using an upper limb exoskeleton during manual handling tasks. Applied ergonomics, 67, 211-217. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.10.008

Zelik, K (2019). It's 2019 - where’s my super suit. Retrieved and adapted from    https://theconversation.com/its-2019-wheres-my-supersuit-115679

(EDITED)

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