Engineers identify usability barriers in workplace exoskeleton systems

The study evaluated four occupational exoskeleton systems currently in the marketplace - the Ironhand, Chairless Chair, Skelex and Laevo - and examined the amount of time it took participants to assemble, don, remove and disassemble each device. The UTEP team also analyzed the number of procedural steps, the number of parts involved and usability issues that users encountered during setup.

They found that the simplest device took 39 steps to set up, while the most complex took 110 steps. Each additional step increased completion time - with assembly time ranging from six-and-a-half minutes to 25 minutes - while usability problems further slowed performance with failure rates of up to 49% for one device.

The team hopes their findings help guide the next generation of exoskeleton design for manufacturers seeking to bring exoskeleton technology from the research lab to the workplace. Even if an exoskeleton effectively reduces physical strain, workers may be reluctant to use it if setup is time-consuming, confusing or prone to errors, they said. As a result, usability represents a critical barrier to workplace adoption.

Pennathur said, "Our message to designers is this: Reduce the number of steps, eliminate the need for special tools and body measurements, build in self-aligning connections and provide clear 'you got it right' feedback, and make sure one person can do the whole thing alone."

Contributors to the research are UTEP students Alejandra Martinez Fernandez and Laura Tovar, and Associate Professor Priyadarshini Pennathur, Ph.D.

Source:

University of Texas at El Paso

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