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UTA Engineers' Soft Robotic Exoskeleton Cuts Muscle Strain by Over 20%

  • MM24 News Desk
  • 7 hours ago
  • 3 min read
UTA's soft robotic exoskeleton reduces muscle strain by up to 22%, offering a lightweight solution to prevent $45–54 billion in annual workplace injury costs Credit: UTA.
UTA's soft robotic exoskeleton reduces muscle strain by up to 22%, offering a lightweight solution to prevent $45–54 billion in annual workplace injury costs Credit: UTA.

University of Texas at Arlington researchers have developed a soft, air-powered exoskeleton that reduces muscle activity in the biceps and triceps by up to 22% during lifting tasks. The wearable device, designed to combat the $45–54 billion annual cost of workplace musculoskeletal disorders, offers a lightweight and comfortable alternative to rigid robotic suits, according to the team's study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering.


Imagine finishing an eight-hour shift on an assembly line and feeling less fatigued than when you started. That’s the future a team of engineers at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is building with a breakthrough in wearable robotics. They’ve created a soft, flexible exoskeleton that acts like an extra layer of muscle, silently assisting workers with repetitive tasks to prevent injury before it happens.


This isn't the clunky, metallic exosuit of science fiction. Dubbed the Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE), the device is crafted from silicone and uses air pressure to provide a natural boost to the elbow. The core of the innovation is its pneumatic actuator—a soft, air-filled chamber that contracts and helps move the arm when inflated. This single-piece design, mounted on a lightweight carbon-fiber base, minimizes mechanical complexity while maximizing comfort, reported the university’s research team.



“Our goal was to create a preventive, assistive device that reduces muscle strain before injuries occur,” said Eshwara Prasad Sridhar, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering. He highlighted a key advantage: “By using the pneumatic systems already available overhead in most manufacturing facilities, this exoskeleton can be easily implemented in real-world settings.” This plug-and-play potential could eliminate major infrastructure changes for factories looking to adopt the technology.



The interdisciplinary project was led by Mahmudur Rahman, the principal investigator and an assistant professor, and Muthu Wijesundara, a co-principal investigator and principal research scientist. They put PASE to the test in a study involving 19 participants. The volunteers performed common industrial tasks like lifting, assembling, and power drilling, both with and without the exoskeleton’s support. The results were striking. When activated, the device not only slashed muscle activity but also led to an 8–10 point reduction in perceived workload on a NASA-developed scale, meaning workers felt the tasks were significantly less demanding, both physically and mentally.


So, why does a reduction of a few percentage points in muscle activity matter? The answer lies in the cumulative nature of strain. A slight strain repeated thousands of times a day is what leads to debilitating injuries over weeks, months, and years. These work-related musculoskeletal disorders account for a staggering 30% of all workplace injuries in the U.S., making them a massive burden on both employee health and company finances. “Even delaying or preventing a single workplace injury makes a huge impact,” said Dr. Veysel Erel, a research scientist who leads soft robotics efforts at the UTA Research Institute (UTARI).



The success of the elbow exoskeleton is just the beginning. The team has already set its sights on a more ambitious goal: a full upper-body suit. They have submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to expand the concept into an exoskeleton that can assist the elbow, wrist, and fingers simultaneously.


This would provide comprehensive support for the most intricate and strain-inducing manual tasks. As Dr. Erel stated, this work exemplifies UTA’s mission to create real-world solutions through collaboration. “By combining expertise across robotics, mechanical engineering, and human factors,” he said, “we’re creating solutions that matter in both industry and everyday life.”



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