Development of an Exoskeleton for Assisting Orange and Mandarin Pickers

The harvesting process of oranges and mandarins heavily rely on manual labor, which poses a risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders. In response to this challenge and with the aim of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the harvesting process, this manuscript introduces a passive lower-limb exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is designed to facilitate movements such as squatting, kneeling, bending forward, and walking, all of which are integral to the process of picking oranges and mandarins. Elastic straps and universal joints are integrated into the exoskeleton to provide support and accommodate minor lateral movements at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. This paper presents an analysis of the design, fabrication, and preliminary laboratory testing of the experimental exoskeleton.