The tool, called Exo-LiFFT, is an interactive calculator that will help companies looking for ways to overcome workforces struggling with musculoskeletal injuries, missed work, and accelerated retirement amongst skilled laborers.

The study's lead author, Karl Zelik, associate professor of mechanical engineering, said this is a major leap forward to help bring relief to overburdened workers.

The study was published online this month in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics, and projected that exoskeletons have the potential to reduce workplace back injuries in material handling by 20% to 60%. This is a critical advancement because work-related injuries to overburdened workers are a major factor contributing to the current dynamics in the labor market.

"If we can identify the right places to deploy exoskeletons, then they can reduce injury risks as well as bodily discomfort, which impacts workers on the job and at home. Exoskeletons may also help improve worker recruitment and retention, which have been costly pain points for employers amidst the labor shortage," said Zelik, who also is the Chief Scientific Officer at Nashville-based workforce wearable company HeroWear.

Zelik and Ph.D. student Cameron Nurse represented Vanderbilt on the six-person research team, which also featured industrial engineers from Auburn University and an ergonomist from HeroWear. Auburn previously developed foundational ergonomic risk assessment tools, while Vanderbilt and HeroWear have been deeply involved in exoskeleton research, design and translation, as well as the development of industry exoskeleton standards with members of the ASTM International standards committee, which includes companies like Boeing.