Author：Lin, Wei-Chih/Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering of National Sun Yat-sen University  

Chao, Shu-Chen/Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering of National Sun Yat-sen University

Comparing with framers' hard work of weeding thoroughly for grain crops after sowing, fruit farmers often suffer the all over sourness and pain caused by the occurrence of occupational injuries after long-time and repetitive fruit picking work during the harvest season. For the elderly farmers in particular, this repetitive picking workload is even over bearable physical burden.

The upper-arm wearable labor-saving assist tool operates by the actuator made by the mechanism of the spring and gear, and provides the extra assistive supporting force which helps reduce the consumption of arm power during the farm activity. This upper-arm wearable labor-saving assist tool is suitable for vine crops, such as grape thinning, small-fruit tomato bud pruning, bitter gourd vine pruning, etc. Farmers can adjust the appropriate assistive supporting force from the tool according to the categories of crops and the different types of farm task. In addition, this upper-arm wearable assist tool is not powered by the traditional motor and thus, no extra motor weight loaded on the users. Frequent recharge or device maintenance is not required, either. 

The wearable waist labor-saving assist device is designed particularly for farmers to lift and carry heavy items. The way of wearing this device is just easy and fast like putting on and taking off a backpack. When a farmer bends over to carry heavy goods with the upper-arm assist tool, the pressure sign caused by the finger contact will be delivered to the motors set on two sides of the waist assist device followed by the connecting rods on legs being automatically linked-up to supply supporting force for heavy lifting. In the meantime, the waist labor-saving assist device also rebounds in time for support, which can help degrade the stress level of low-back muscle burden during the lifting activity and thus, the farmer can easily return to a standing posture.

Looking to the application of intelligent machinery or manpower assistive device, the purpose of either way is to create a new time-, effort- and labor-saving agriculture production models by innovative technologies. This agriculture innovation not only makes farmers a safe and low-risk farming environment, but further helps farmers be able to upgrade the quality of their leisure time, which is the implementation of the “Good Health and Well-Being” and “Decent Work and Economic Growth in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).