Modern exoskeletons, while advanced in their mechanics and electronics, are often very difficult for users to get both physically and cognitively used to. Patients end up thinking more about the exoskeletons that are supposed to help them walk than the walking itself.
Researchers at Draper, a non-profit R&D organization, tested how different factors can impact the usability of exoskeletons. They identified seven parameters that should be evaluated and optimized.
“Our aim is to identify and eliminate the barriers to a viable exoskeleton system and find a balance between the system’s sensing, control and actuation,” said Kevin Duda, an engineer in human systems integration at Draper. “The ability for the exosystem to provide feedback to the human or adapt its response based on inferring the human’s intent is important for developing systems for environments of all kinds. The goal for all of us developing wearable assistance technologies is to deliver a high level of human-exosystem fluency.”
Open access study in IEEE Systems Journal: Human Factors Considerations for Enabling Functional Use of Exosystems in Operational Environments…
Via: Draper…