Parcours

The assessment methods include subjective feedback in the specific task, user comfort during wearing an exoskeleton, an analysis of ergonomic aspects and quality of work. The following table lists the various assessments and assigns them to the three Parcours (see results). In general, only the quality score is task specific and therefore Parcour specific, all other assessments can be applied to any Parcour. 

Highly repetitive tasks, extern weights, and non-ergonomic postures are typical for workplaces in intralogistics and are considered as being particularly stressful for the human body, especially the lower back.

This Parcour depicts a realistic, representative task of a “band-cleaner” in an automotive plant. 8kg packages, each marked with one of two colours, have to be picked from a table (representing a belt) and carried to one of two grid boxes 2m away. The packages are sorted according to their markings into the grid boxes. For the transport of one package, the time is limited to 10sec, which is based on the rhythm in logistics of the automotive industry. A running info clock gives a rough time for sorting each package so that all 48 packages are sorted within 8min. After one sorting round, the test subject has a 2min break during which a questionnaire is filled out related to their subjective effort and body discomfort during the work.

After the break, the test subject has to sort the packages back to the table. This process of placing 48 packages in grid boxes within 8min and back to the table in the next round is repeated three times so that the total working time is 1h. After working for 1h with an exoskeleton, the subjects fill out a questionnaire about the wearing comfort and the usability of this system. After at least a 2h break the subject would repeat the task with our without exoskeleton (randomised).

There is repetitive overhead work in car assembly and maintenance at car service garages. These tasks can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the shoulders, neck, and upper extremities and, likewise, affect the precision of the work due to muscle fatigue.

Therefore, in this Parcour, tasks of an underbody assembly in an automotive plant are simulated as realistic working processes in an automotive plant. This includes assembly and disassembly tasks (for experimental practicality) 

•     setting clips (12 clips)
•     screwing with a battery screwdriver (16 screws)
•     laying cables into nine cable holders (2 cables)
•     painting lines (25 times, lines of 390mm each)

Each individual task is performed in a given time according to the “Method-Time-Measurements” (MTM), which is common in the automotive industry internationally. Thus, time is to be respected, as well as accuracy, especially in painting lines. One working round consists of assembly and disassembly followed by a 2min break. After each round, the subjects complete a questionnaire about subjective effort and body discomfort during work. A total of seven rounds are completed in 1h. After completing the Parcour with an exoskeleton, the individual wearing comfort is assessed after the 1h work. A System Usability Scale (SUS) score is used related to the usability of the exoskeleton.

Between the two conditions with and without an exoskeleton, the subjects have at least a 2h break.

This Parcour is developed in Excellence Cluster IntCDC and was defined in cooperation with SchwörerHaus KG, where overhead lifting activities of heavy timber beams and repetitive demanding tasks of overhead positioning are common. Two people are working simultaneously and synchronized in the same workplace.

In cooperation with technician students from the vocational school Wilhelm-Maybach-Schule Bad Cannstatt, a workplace of changing tires was defined and developed.

In agriculture, it is common to work in the field to plant and pick fruits, vegetables, or seeds and then carry them in boxes.   

The task of picking, placing in a field, and carrying boxes are demonstrated here.