Changwon Son has received a grant from the National Safety Council to help musculoskeletal disorders linked to overhead work in manufacturing

Changwon Son, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering at the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering at Texas Tech University, has received a $49,989 grant from the National Safety Council to address musculoskeletal disorders linked to overhead work in the manufacturing industry. 

The funding comes from the council’s Musculoskeletal Disorders Research to Solutions (R2S) program. The project will focus on developing and testing a 3D-printed head and neck support device designed for workers performing prolonged overhead tasks, known as a known risk factor for musculoskeletal injuries. 

Son will lead the research as principal investigator, collaborating with Dr. Frank Ryou of Boeing (co-principal investigator) and Felipe Zambrini Santos (co-investigator). According to Son, current solutions such as exoskeletons offer limited benefits for manufacturing workers who frequently change tasks or move between workstations. 

The team plans to create a prototype using computer-aided design and 3D printing, followed by testing in both laboratory and real-world manufacturing environments. 

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