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Exoskeleton for upper limbs in meat processing industry: Influence on muscle activity and physical effort

Junior C Defani & Ariel Orlei Michaloski

Work2026https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815261435985article
AJG 1
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

BackgroundBrazil is one of the leading global pork exporters, operating approximately 1100 slaughterhouses where manual labor often exposes workers to repetitive strain and poor postural conditions.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of an exoskeleton in reducing upper-limb physical effort during dynamic, repetitive tasks common in meat processing lines.MethodSeventeen workers performed 17 production tasks involving repeated arm elevations above 45°, both with and without the use of an exoskeleton. Muscle activity in the medial and anterior deltoids was measured using surface electromyography (sEMG). Subjective workload was assessed using the BORG scale and a usability questionnaire.ResultsAmong the four muscles analyzed based on normalized mean values relative to maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), a statistically significant reduction in activity was observed in the right medial deltoid when using the exoskeleton (p = 0.0440). For normalized peak values, no muscle showed statistically significant reductions (left anterior deltoid, p = 0.3192; left medial deltoid, p = 0.0552; right anterior deltoid, p = 0.3708; right medial deltoid, p = 0.0552). However, Cohen's d indicated medium-to-large effect sizes for the right and left medial deltoids and the left anterior deltoid, suggesting reduced biomechanical demand during exoskeleton-assisted tasks.ConclusionThe exoskeleton demonstrated potential to reduce the load on specific muscles, indicating possible ergonomic and industrial benefits. However, limitations include the need for anthropometric adjustments and additional operating space. These findings support the device's relevance and highlight the need for further research on optimization and industrial adaptation.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815261435985

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@article{junior2026,
  title        = {{Exoskeleton for upper limbs in meat processing industry: Influence on muscle activity and physical effort}},
  author       = {Junior C Defani & Ariel Orlei Michaloski},
  journal      = {Work},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815261435985},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.