Page 39 - THEi Student Applied Research Presentations 2025

STUDY ON UTILIZING EXOSKELETON
TO MITIGATE INJURY FROM MANUAL

HANDLING TASKS FOR WORKERS

Poster
HO Siu Hang
BSc (Hons) in Surveying
Department of Design and Architecture

RESEARCH BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES

The rising rate of construction accidents, particularly falls from heights, • To identify and analyze the causes
overshadows the underreported issue of manual handling injuries, which cause and examples of injuries of workers
severe, long-term health complications. This underestimation highlights the caused by material transportation
need for targeted safety interventions. Wearable exoskeletons, such as the • To investigate the potential application
HILTI exoskeleton, offer promising support for physically demanding tasks of exoskeletons in the construction
but remain underutilized and lack sufficient academic evaluation, especially environment
for manual handling. This dissertation explores the potential of exoskeleton
technology to mitigate manual handling injuries, addressing its practical benefits • To identify successful exoskeleton
and limitations to enhance workplace safety in the construction industry. applications in the construction
industry in other countries
METHODOLOGY • To determine the improvements or
adaptations required to incorporate
1. Questionnaire: exoskeleton into existing safety
A survey will be administered to 30-40 on-site workers to gather insights into measures
material transportation practices and causes of injury. This step will validate
findings from the literature review and identify specific trades for further study.
2. Trial Study:
After obtaining the questionnaire responses, a comprehensive pilot study
will be launched to investigate the practical use of exoskeletons in workers.
Participating workers will wear exoskeletons throughout their workday on-site.
The goal is to evaluate the impact of exoskeletons on job efficiency and safety,
as well as any constraints that could affect workers' performance. ABOUT THE INVESTIGATOR
3. Interview:
Post-trial interviews with participants will be conducted to collect detailed I am passionate about building
feedback on their experiences, including benefits and challenges. The structured surveying and aspire to become a
interview will explore the effectiveness and limitations of exoskeletons, thereby successful and highly professional
generating valuable data for the study’s conclusions. building surveyor, dedicated to
delivering excellence and contributing
FINDINGS to the advancement of the industry.
Beyond my academic and career
The study found that the primary cause of injuries was individual worker actions, pursuits, I enjoy playing basketball
while the site environments were safe due to effective management practices. and badminton, activities that help me
Due to the high injury rates from repetitive material handling, Labourers,
Drainlayers, and Woodworkers were recommended as target groups for testing stay active, build teamwork skills, and
exoskeleton technology. The trial demonstrated that exoskeleton significantly maintain a well-rounded lifestyle.
reduces physical strain and heart rate, while improving performance during FYP Supervisor: Sr Dr LAU Wai Kin
material transportation tasks. It highlighted the effectiveness of exoskeleton in Elvis
minimizing stress and enhancing productivity. While workers reported a positive
experience, the current HILTI exoskeleton is optimized for tasks performed in
a higher posture, which limits its effectiveness during manual handling. This
highlights the need for a versatile design that can support workers in both high
Student Applied Research Presentations 2025 and low postures. Student Applied Research Presentations 2025 28