Soft elbow exoskeleton cuts muscle strain by 22% in factory tasks

Engineers at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have developed a soft robotic elbow exoskeleton called the Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE) designed to reduce muscle strain and fatigue in repetitive industrial tasks such as lifting, assembling, and drilling. The lightweight device uses a silicone pneumatic actuator powered by existing overhead pneumatic systems in factories, enabling it to assist elbow motion without restricting mobility. In tests with 19 participants, PASE reduced biceps and triceps muscle activity by up to 22% during lifting tasks and lowered perceived physical and mental workload by 8–10 points on NASA’s Task Load Index, indicating significant potential to prevent musculoskeletal injuries that account for nearly 30% of workplace injuries in the U.S. The interdisciplinary project, funded by UTA’s Interdisciplinary Research Program, emphasizes comfort and simplicity through a single-piece pneumatic actuator mounted on a carbon-fiber base plate wrapped in neoprene. The research team includes experts in industrial engineering