Project Summary: Injuries to the lumbar spine constitute approximately 25% of workplace injuries worldwide, affecting an estimated 875 million individuals. With a growing number of individuals engaged in labor-intensive occupations, there is a pressing need for innovative, ergonomic back support solutions that are convenient to wear. The R!G Exosuit is an affordable, lightweight solution to the epidemic that is lower back pain. R!G utilizes compressive eco-friendly fabrics with personalized Geeetech 3D printed inserts that engage overextend muscles in the lumbar region.
Journey: After coming up with numerous ideas, the team decided that an exo suit was the most viable innovation and one that would meet a real market need. They got right to work on an initial prototype. They reached out to chiropractors to get input on where they should focus joint compression and talked to construction workers to get more insights on their design. The students also read medical journals to understand back muscles and the anatomical aspect of their design. Finalizing their calculations for force and torque, the team created a viable prototype and bought a mannequin to run trials and test how the suit works.
Team Members: Robert Adinolfi, Brayden Phillips, Ava Lubkemann, and Jair Espinoza
