Hiroshi Kumagai

About

Dr. Hiroshi Kumagai is a leading researcher in the field of rehabilitation robotics and occupational biomechanics, with a specialized focus on preventing work-related low back pain through wearable assistive technology. His major contributions center on the clinical validation of the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) for Care Support, a robotic exoskeleton designed to provide lumbar support during physically demanding tasks. Through a series of prospective experimental studies, Dr. Kumagai has demonstrated that HAL significantly reduces lumbar load during repetitive lifting, snow-shoveling, and simulated patient transfers—activities that are primary risk factors for injury among healthcare workers and laborers. His most cited work (2017, 56 citations) established the device’s efficacy in snow-shoveling, while a subsequent study (2018, 52 citations) confirmed these benefits for general lifting tasks. His 2020 study (27 citations) further validated HAL’s potential to protect nurses during patient handling, a critical application given the high prevalence of low back pain in this profession. Collectively, Dr. Kumagai’s research has provided robust evidence for integrating robotic exoskeletons into occupational safety protocols, offering a promising solution to reduce injury rates and improve worker well-being.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   The hybrid assisted limb (HAL) for Care Support, a motion assisting robot providing exoskeletal lumbar support, can potentially reduce lumbar load in repetitive snow-shoveling movements

   56 citations · 2017
2. 2
   The hybrid assistive limb (HAL) for Care Support successfully reduced lumbar load in repetitive lifting movements

   52 citations · 2018
3. 3
   Successful Use of the Hybrid Assistive Limb for Care Support to Reduce Lumbar Load in a Simulated Patient Transfer

   27 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links