Passive Arm Assists Exoskeleton System

Oil Palm records the second largest crop in Malaysia. Manual oil palm harvesting requires harvesters to lift & carry long, heavy poles with a sickle attached at the end. This invention is specifically designed to tackle this issue thus promoting easier lifting and handling harvesting tools, without interrupting harvesting motion.

Manual oil palm harvesting technique is laborious and requires eccentric posture, hence its productivity is limited by the physical fitness of the harvester. Fatigue, mainly of muscle, is a major factor that would reduce harvester’s productivity.

 

Manual oil palm harvesting requires harvesters to lift & carry long, heavy poles with a sickle attached at the end. Harvesters spent the longest time Carrying/Lifting, where most assistance is needed. 

 

A passive arm assists exoskeleton system can assist oil palm harvesters during harvesting of oil palm fresh fruit bunch. It comes with an exoskeleton with an arm lifting assist mechanism. The Passive assist mechanism can be turned on/off without taking the exoskeleton off. 

 

The exoskeleton assists the arm when lifting and handling the harvesting tool, without interrupting harvesting motion. It is composed of a spine plate with shoulder and hip harness, links, arm support mechanism assembly, arm cuff.  

 

This invention aims to reduce arm muscle fatigue during tool lifting & handling. Its directed support angle allows lifting assist without interrupting harvesting. 

Inventor:

Dr. Hazreen Haizi Harith

Faculty of Engineering

asalleh@upm.edu.my

 

Date of Input: 21/03/2023 | Updated: 21/03/2023 | aishah