Assistive technologies for workers in the automotive industry

In the automotive assembly awkward postures and repetitive processes are often still strong on the agenda. The musculoskeletal system of the worker is thus claimed repeatedly in the same manner resulting in an uneven joint wear. This increases the likelihood of osteoarthritis or other joint diseases such as tennis elbow or low back pain. In many workplaces ergonomically unfavorable working postures are so far not avoidable, such as overhead assembly of heavy parts or the repeated insertion of clips and connectors. In the most cases this is due to insufficient ergonomically designed equipment or a lack of mobile assistive systems. So, lifting aids could make an important contribution here. However, these are often not used in daily work by the workers, as the use is cumbersome and time-consuming. Fraunhofer IPA develops new, practical concepts and assembly solutions for the worker. Assistive technologies from passively supporting orthoses up to actuated exoskeletons can be adapted, depending on the individual needs which are being ascertained as a part of an integrative process chain.