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The Impact of Back-supporting Exoskeletons for Manual Order Picking in Danish Warehouses - The RELAX Project

NCT07561112 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 90

Last updated 2026-05-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study investigates the long-term effects of implementing a passive back-support exoskeleton during manual order-picking work in a real-world warehouse environment. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly low back pain, are common among logistics workers due to frequent lifting, repetitive movements, and awkward postures. Although laboratory studies suggest that occupational exoskeletons can reduce biomechanical load, evidence from long-term, real-world workplace implementations remains limited.

The RELAX project is an 18-month controlled in-field intervention study conducted in two departments of a Danish warehouse. Approximately 90 full-time warehouse workers will participate. Workers in the intervention department will use a passive back-support exoskeleton during manual order-picking tasks, while workers in the control department will continue their work as usual.

The primary outcomes include sickness absence, employee turnover, perceived work intensity, and musculoskeletal discomfort. Secondary outcomes include productivity, user acceptance of the exoskeleton, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Outcomes will be assessed through company records, repeated questionnaires, and focus-group interviews over the 18-month period.

By combining longitudinal quantitative outcomes with qualitative process evaluation, the study aims to determine whether long-term use of a passive back-support exoskeleton can improve worker well-being and reduce work-related musculoskeletal burden without negatively affecting productivity. The results may inform workplace policies and future implementation of occupational exoskeletons in physically demanding industries.

Conditions

  • Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Interventions

DEVICE

Use of an occupational passive back-exoskeleton

Use of the IX Back AIR (SuitX by Ottobock) for 18 months during daily order picking tasks

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • Aarhus University Hospital

    collaborator OTHER

  • Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland

    collaborator OTHER

  • Ecole Normale Supérieure de Rennes

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • Aalborg University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Pascal Madeleine, Professor · Aalborg University

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-01
Primary Completion
2027-01-31
Completion
2029-10-31

Countries

  • Denmark

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07561112 on ClinicalTrials.gov