MSPM’S

Deogiri Institute of Engineering and Management Studies,

Aurangabad Department of Civil Engineering

SEMINAR REPORT
Exoskeleton in Constructions

SUBMITTED BY
Nishad .P. Gore (42125)

GUIDED BY
Prof. R. H. Khan
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report titled Exoskeleton in Constructions by

Nishad Gore(42125)Is a bonafide completed under my supervision and
guidance, and has successfully completed and for award of Bachelor of
Engineering in Civil Engineering of Deogiri Institute of Engineering
And Management Studies, Aurangabad under Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar Technological University Lonere.
Place:Aurangabad Date: 03/02/2022

Prof. R. H. Khan Dr..G.R. Gandhe

Guide Head of department Department
Civil Engineering Civil Engineering

DR.Ulhas Shiurkar
Director
DIEMS
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1
What Are Exoskeletons? ....................................................................................... 1
Types of Exoskeletons .......................................................................................... 2
Mechanical exoskeletons .................................................................................. 2
Partial or fully electric exoskeletons ................................................................. 3
Benefits of Construction Exoskeletons ................................................................. 4
How Does an Exoskeleton Work? ........................................................................ 5
How Do Exoskeletons Make Construction Workers Safer?................................. 6
Types of Construction Exoskeletons .................................................................... 7
Power Gloves .................................................................................................... 7
Arm and Shoulder Support ............................................................................... 7
Back Support ..................................................................................................... 8
Standing and Crouching Support ...................................................................... 9
Whole-body Exo-suits .................................................................................... 10
Introduction
Exoskeletons are slowly making their way into the construction industry to
increase safety and productivity for all workers. These machines aim to reduce
accumulated strain gained from repetitive and prolonged tasks throughout the
work day. These tasks range from screwing car bolts overhead in a car factory
to drilling into walls while holding up heavy equipment.
These tools range from supporting a worker’s back, legs and hands to
supporting the user’s entire body. Read on to learn how exoskeletons are
improving both safety and productivity in the construction industry.

What Are Exoskeletons?

The exosuits are metal frameworks fitted with motorized muscles to multiply
the wearer’s strength. Also called exoskeletons, the robotic suits’ metal
framework somewhat mirrors the wearer’s internal skeletal structure.
The suit makes lifted objects feel much lighter, and sometimes even weightless,
reducing injuries and improving compliance.
Exoskeletons are wearable machines suited with motorized joints that aim to
minimize strain and injury by providing lift support, weight dispersion, posture
correction and other capabilities. Exoskeletons are sometimes referred to as
exosuits. These machines are mainly used for physical rehabilitation, but are
increasingly used by workers in construction and manufacturing.

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Types of Exoskeletons

Depending on the manufacturer, exoskeletons are purely mechanical or operate

with a mix of mechanics and electricity. The frames can be comprised of hard
material, like metal, or soft materials, like cloth and textiles, depending on the
suit and its function

Mechanical exoskeletons

Mechanical exoskeletons use no electricity. Users enjoy loevity in the field

since they don’t need recharging nor does the user need to carry a power source.
Most mechanical exoskeletons take weight from a specific area of the body (like
the arms and shoulders) and redistribute it to another (like the core and waist) to
reduce strain and fatigue.

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Partial or fully electric exoskeletons

Partial or fully electric exoskeletons are typically more powerful than

mechanical exoskeletons and handle more weight. They can target more
specific areas, like the hand, and increase pressure and strength where needed.
The main drawback of electric exoskeletons is their need for power. See below
to learn more about their limitations.
• Maintaining power: To maintain electric exoskeletons, you’ll need to
either replace the batteries or recharge the suits to power them back up.
• Added weight: Batteries also add weight, potentially impeding mobility.
• Extra time needed: You sometimes need to wait for the suits to cool off
before replacing the batteries.
• Increased hazard: Depending on the model, you may need to manage
cables from the suit to its power source.

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Benefits of Construction Exoskeletons

Construction work involves several tasks that can potentially lead to injury as
we’ve mentioned. In fact,
everyday activities like lifting and
carrying heavy objects are the
leading cause of strain injuries in
construction. Certain construction
exoskeletons directly combat
these issues. The CDC reported
that using an exoskeleton
decreased pressure on the spine
and decreased fatigue, among
other findings. Below are a few
benefits of using construction exoskeletons.
• Reduces injury and strain: Exoskeletons distribute weight more evenly
and reduce strain on different parts of the body. This can lead to a
decreased risk of long-term injuries for construction workers.
• Increases productivity: Workers using construction exoskeletons
experience less fatigue and can complete more work than their bodies can
usually handle due to the decreased strain.
• Opens employment opportunities: Contractors who are normally limited
by age and physical capabilities can endure more strenuous activities.

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How Does an Exoskeleton Work?

Exoskeletons work in various ways depending on the part of the body they’re
outfitted for and the way they’re powered.
Many exoskeletons shift weight
from one part of the body to
other parts, like from your arms
to your legs, to reduce
continuous strain, increase
endurance and improve
productivity. The process to
accomplish this varies between
the different types of
exoskeletons. For example, some
mounted arm exosuits achieve this by using a counterbalance that transfers
weight on the arm down to the ground.
Other exoskeletons aim to enhance the user’s strength. For example, power
gloves can be used to increase grip strength for users who have trouble grasping
tools. This is accomplished using sensors in the glove to add extra force in the
user’s hand and improve grip.
Several construction exoskeletons are personalized to fit the user’s body type
and most come in different sizes. Exoskeletons today are becoming more sleek
and lightweight to make them easier to wear throughout a long work day and
maneuver through work areas. Some companies also allow customers to trial the
product and offer training to ensure they understand their exoskeleton’s
capabilities.

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How Do Exoskeletons Make Construction Workers Safer?

Exoskeletons help to make construction workers safer by reducing the strain

often put on joints and muscles through repetitive work and prolonged tasks.
This is because the skeleton makes heavy machines and objects lighter to move,
assists in the carrying and lifting, and reduces the impact of holding heavy
machines for long periods of time.

These injuries – strain from repetitive movement and exposure to constant

force, vibration, awkward positioning and movement – are referred to as
Musculoskeletal Disorders.

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Types of Construction Exoskeletons
There are several types of exoskeletons that specifically assist construction
workers. We’ve classified these suits based on the area of the body they
support. Read our list below to learn all about the benefits of varying
construction exoskeleton types.

Power Gloves

Power gloves fit around the hand to improve dexterity for those who experience
weakness or other issues with grasping tools and materials. Improved grip is
helpful when carrying heavy hand tools or picking up objects.
The Ironhand from Bioservo is a soft power glove that detects the user’s natural
movement via sensors. The glove senses when the user is about to grip an object
and increases power based on the object’s weight. The glove also collects data
to assess gripping situations that pose an ergonomic risk to the user.
Arm and Shoulder Support

These exosuits support workers who lift heavy tools and materials above the
waist. Arm and support exosuits are ideal for overhead tasks like drilling,

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 cutting and grinding. They
support both shoulders and
arms to lessen the strain of
continuously holding
heavy tools for an
extended period of time.
The Ekso
Bionics’ EksoVest uses
springs in both arms to
give the user lift assistance
while the Airframe
Exoskeleton from Levitate
Technologies uses a pulley system to achieve this task. SuitX’s shoulderX uses
springs to support the user. These are all good examples of shoulder support
exoskeletons since they are lightweight, low profile and do not impede mobility.

Back Support

Back support exosuits typically fit around your shoulders, back and waist to
reduce stress on the back from lifting heavy objects. Some back support
exoskeletons correct your posture when bending or lifting depending on the
manufacturer.

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The V22 ErgoSkeleton from Strong Arm Tech acts as a “coach” and provides
feedback to the user when they are not safely bending. The design of
suitX’s backX exosuit focuses more on reducing stress on the back and spine.

Standing and Crouching Support

These exosuits lock in place to reduce pressure on knees and legs and distribute
weight down to the ground. This reduces strain on joints and muscles when in a
standing or crouching position for a period of time.
It also gives users the option to “sit” when chairs aren’t available or would
otherwise impede safety or productivity the work zone. This is a helpful feature
for construction workers who spend lots of time standing during the work day.
The Chairless Chair 2.0 from Noonee introduces improvements from their
previous model including a decrease in the product’s overall weight and
updated materials for comfort and breathability. The legX from suitX is
compatible with tool belts and offers custom work boots for added comfort.
Both products recognize when a user is walking, crouching and standing and
adjusts accordingly.

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Whole-body Exo-suits

Whole-body exosuits provide support throughout the body to minimize strain,

maximize productivity and enhance strength. You can find whole-body suits
that are both mechanical and electrical, each coming with their own sets of pros
and cons as we’ve mentioned earlier.
Sarcos is planning to eliminate problems with their newest full-body electric
suit, the Guardian XO. A single charge can last up to eight hours and requires
only 400 watts of power (90 percent less than similar machines) to operate
while walking at a normal pace. Users can also “hot-swap” batteries without
losing power to this suit.

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