Active back exosuits demonstrate positive usability perceptions that drive intention-to-use in the field among logistic warehouse workers.

Autor: Hess A; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA., Jacobs JV; Risk Control Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Boston, MA, USA., Sullivan S; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA., Roberts Williams DO; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA., Awad LN; Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA., Dalton D; Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA., Walsh CJ; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address: walsh@seas.harvard.edu., Quirk DA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Applied ergonomics [Appl Ergon] 2025 Jan; Vol. 122, pp. 104400. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 09.
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104400
Abstrakt: Back exosuits offer the potential to reduce occupational back injuries but require in-field acceptance and use to realize this potential. For this study, 146 employees trialed an active back exosuit in the field for 4 h, completing an acceptance usability survey. Comparing the 80% of employees willing to continue wearing this device (N = 117) to those who were not (N = 29) revealed that employees willing to wear this device for a longer-term study generally were more likely to perceive this back exosuit to be effective (helpful) and compatible (minimally disruptive) to their everyday work. Using an optimal tree approach, we demonstrate that intent-to-use could be predicted with 78% accuracy by interacting features of perceived exosuit effectiveness and work compatibility. This study reinforces the importance of task matching, noticeable relief, and unobtrusive design to facilitate short-term employee acceptance of industrial wearable robotic technology.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Professor, Conor J Walsh is an inventor of at least one patent application describing the exosuit components described in the paper that have been filed with the U.S. Patent Office by Harvard University. Harvard University has entered into a licensing agreement with Verve Inc., in which Dr. Walsh., has equity interest and a board position. The other authors declare they have no competing interests.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: