Video-Based Ergonomic Evaluation of Passive Exosuit Use in Simulated Healthcare Task

Abstract

Nursing and caregiving professionals routinely perform physically demanding tasks that place them at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including patient lifting, material handling, and prolonged awkward postures. Wearable assistive technologies, such as passive exosuits, have emerged as a potential intervention to reduce physical strain; however, evaluating their ergonomic effectiveness often requires expensive motion capture systems or wearable sensors that limit scalability. This study investigates the use of a passive back-support exosuit (Auxivo Omnisuit) during simulated healthcare tasks using a low-cost, video-based ergonomic assessment approach. Six healthy participants completed three tasks with and without the exosuit while joint angles were measured using Kinovea, an open-source video motion analysis tool. Results indicated small but consistent improvements in joint alignment and postural stability across tasks when the exosuit was worn. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of video-based ergonomic analysis as an accessible method for evaluating exosuit performance and suggest that passive exosuits may offer meaningful ergonomic benefits during physically demanding healthcare activities.