Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37248409›Full record

SynthesisAnnals of biomedical engineering2023

A Systematic Review on Lower-Limb Industrial Exoskeletons: Evaluation Methods, Evidence, and Future Directions.

Pranav Madhav Kuber, Mohammad Mehdi Alemi, Ehsan Rashedi

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Annals of biomedical engineering, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Research and Design of a Medial-Support Exoskeleton Chair.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Pranav Madhav KuberBiomechanics and Ergonomics Lab, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6572-0912
Mohammad Mehdi AlemiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Ehsan RashediBiomechanics and Ergonomics Lab, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA. exreie@rit.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2998-4993

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Industrial tasks that involve frequent sitting/standing transitions and squatting activities can benefit from lower-limb industrial exoskeletons; however, their use is not as widespread as their upper-body counterparts. In this review, we examined 23 articles that evaluated the effects of using Wearable Chair (WC) and Squat-assist (SA) exoskeletons. Evaluations mainly included assessment of muscular demands in the thigh, shank, and upper/lower back regions. Both types of devices were found to lessen muscular demands in the lower body by 30-90%. WCs also reduced low-back demands (~ 37%) and plantar pressure (54-80%) but caused discomfort/unsafe feeling in participants. To generalize outcomes, we suggest standardizing approaches used for evaluating the devices. Along with addressing low adoption through design upgrades (e.g., ground and body supports/attachments), we recommend that researchers thoroughly evaluate temporal effects on muscle fatigue, metabolic rate, and stability of wearers. Although lower-limb exoskeletons were found to be beneficial, discrepancies in experimental protocols (posture/task/measures) were discovered. We also suggest simulating more realistic conditions, such as walking/sitting interchangeability for WCs and lifting loads for SA devices. The presented outcomes could help improve the design/evaluation approaches, and implementation of lower limb wearable devices across industries.

Indexed as

Exoskeleton DeviceHumansIndustryLower ExtremityPostureStanding PositionAssessmentAssistive DevicesBiomechanicsErgonomicsLower BodyPhysical DemandSquattingTechnology AcceptanceWearable ChairWorkplace Injury

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.