Design and Analysis of a Novel Sustainable Wearable Load-Carrying Device (LoCaDe-Exo) Engineered for Low-Resource Hilly Terrains

Conventional load-carrying practices in hilly and low-resource regions, such as Doko and head-straps, put substantial axial load pressures on the spine, resulting in chronic musculoskeletal discomfort. This research presents LoCaDe-Exo, a CFRP-based wearable load-carrying assistive device designed to redistribute payload forces through a terrain-adaptive ground support system. The study utilized finite element analysis (FEA), multi-body dynamics (MBD), modal analysis, and a comparative screening life-cycle carbon assessment. At 400 N, the CFRP frame exhibited a maximum stress of 94.8 Mpa, a displacement of 1.92 mm, and a factor of safety of 3.2. Structural refinement, however, reduced the frame mass by ≈18% to 4.1 kg. Similarly, the MBD evaluations predicted a ground-support force of 269.3 N, indicating a 71% ground load transfer. Additionally, the L5/S1 compression decreased from 828.5 to 548.5 N, representing a 33% reduction. The natural frequencies (14.2, 22.5, 31.8 Hz) were well separated, suggesting a low likelihood of direct resonance between the structure and the operating conditions. Over 5 years, the CFRP configuration produced the lowest estimated life-cycle carbon footprint at 420.7 kg CO2e. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of the LoCaDe-Exo device as a potential sustainable option for heavy load-carriage in rugged, high-altitude conditions. However, the results are numerical/simulation-based. The findings contribute to SDGs 3, 8, 9, 12 and 13. Future studies will focus on an experimental prototype and human-subject validation.