A Variable-stiffness Neck Exoskeleton with Pneumatic-driven Actuators for Prolonged Head Flexion Assistance
Tianfang Li, Baojun Chen, Zhichao Hua, Qiang Lin
Abstract
Surgeons are frequently subjected to prolonged unnatural postures, such as sustained neck flexion during surgical procedures, increasing their susceptibility to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Despite the prevalence of such issues, there remains a scarcity of ergonomic solutions that effectively mitigate neck pain while permitting full operational functionality across diverse environments. In this paper, we present a novel variable-stiffness neck exoskeleton with pneumatic-driven tensile actuators for prolonged head flexion assistance. Its innovative design facilitates unrestricted head movement while providing expected neck support, thereby minimizing strain on antagonist muscle groups. Comprehensive experimental evaluations were conducted to assess the system’s performance. Transitional response times between flexible and rigid states were 0.28 s and 0.46 s, respectively. Experimental trials involving five healthy subjects demonstrated that the average muscular activity reduction of the splenius capitis and the sternocleidomastoid muscles were 38.8 ± 2.0% and 9.7 ± 2.5%, respectively. These experimental results demonstrated great potential of the exoskeleton in practical application for alleviating the physical burden during prolonged head flexion.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{iros2025_avariablestiffne,
title = {A Variable-stiffness Neck Exoskeleton with Pneumatic-driven Actuators for Prolonged Head Flexion Assistance},
author = {Tianfang Li and Baojun Chen and Zhichao Hua and Qiang Lin},
booktitle = {IROS 2025},
year = {2025}
}