The development of a wearable device for relieving the lower leg muscles fatigue

Abstract

Standing is considered one of the most practical working postures since our limbs have the greatest range of motion. Standing yields plenty of benefits, however, prolonged standing could lead not only to discomfort but also to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study aims to design and develop a device that could help relieve muscle fatigue in the lower leg as the effects of prolonged standing as well as to evaluate the proposed device. The basics of fatigue, the consequences of prolonged standing and walking, and a review of the existing interventions to cope with muscle fatigue are used in designing the proposed wearable device. The main design concept is to increase blood circulation in the lower leg muscles using roller massage and compression methods.

An experiment is conducted on four subjects. The physical fatigue was evaluated through surface Electromyography (sEMG) and postural stability, whereas the psychological fatigue was assessed through a questionnaire survey. Indicators used in this assessment include the time-to-fatigue, the mean power frequency (MNF), and the speed of the center of pressure (CoP). The results of this study confirm the competence of the fatigue alleviating methods: massage and compression. The device can reduce discomfort and increase the capable amount of time in prolonged standing tasks. However, the device should be improved by reducing its weight and size in the future.