Seating helps determine how operators interface with workstations. The right type of chair or stool can help address ergonomic concerns caused by repetitive stress. Inadequate seating can place unnecessary strain on assemblers’ muscles.
Engineers at Honda Motor Co. recently put a new twist on assembly line seating. Assemblers at the automaker’s plant in Sayama, Japan, use an unusual type of chair to eliminate the risk of repetitive-stress-related injuries.
The 6.5 kilogram Bodyweight Support Assist device is designed for people who are capable of walking and maneuvering on their own, but who can benefit from additional leg and body support while performing assembly tasks. It reduces the load on leg muscles and joints (in the hip, knees and ankles) by supporting a portion of the person’s bodyweight.
The ergonomic tool, which operates for 2 hours at a time with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, has a simple structure consisting of seat, frame and shoes. Each leg contains an electric motor.
The Honda engineers developed a mechanism where the seat and frame follow the movement of the body and legs. The ergonomic tool supports a portion of an end user’s bodyweight by lifting the seat, as the frame between the shoe and seat bends and extends, just like knees, with the force from the motor. As a result, the load on leg muscles and joints is reduced.
An operator activates the device by wearing a pair of high-tech shoes and sitting down. A mechanism directs the assisting force toward the user’s center of gravity. The ability to control the assist force in concert with the movement of the legs makes it possible for the device to provide natural assistance in various postures and motions.
Natural walking is achieved by changing the amount of assisting force applied to the right and left legs through the control of two motors based on the information obtained though sensors embedded in the shoes of the device.
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