Effect of a Passive Shoulder-Support Exoskeleton on Muscle Activity, Range of Motion, Discomfort, and Exertion during Painting Tasks

Shoulder injuries are prevalent among painters due to the repetitive and overhead nature of their tasks. Using two experimental conditions (with and without an exoskeleton), this study examined the effect of a passive shoulder-support exoskeleton on muscle activity, range of motion, perceived rate of discomfort, and exertion during painting tasks. The study employed a laboratory-simulated painting experiment, involving bending, upper-level, and ceiling-level painting subtasks. The results indicated a suboptimal effect of the exoskeleton during the bending subtask, leading to increased activity in some muscles and a higher perceived rate of discomfort and exertion. However, using the exoskeleton reduced muscle activation in most of the muscles during the upper-level and ceiling-level painting subtasks. Moreover, using the exoskeleton reduced the perceived rate of discomfort and exertion in these subtasks. There was no profound change in the participants’ range of motion during the bending, upper-level, and ceiling-level painting subtasks. These findings suggest that shoulder-support exoskeletons hold promise as ergonomic interventions to mitigate shoulder injuries and enhance performance in painting tasks. The study contributes to the extant literature on the potential of passive shoulder-support exoskeletons to mitigate shoulder injuries associated with overheard tasks, which is important to practitioners, manufacturers of exoskeletons, and researchers. Further research is warranted to explore these exoskeletons’ long-term effects and usability in real-world painting environments.