Citation

Kopp V, Holl M, Schalk M, Daub U, Bances E, García B, Schalk I, Siegert J, Schneider U. Wearable Technol. 2022; 3: e22.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/wtc.2022.17

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Industrial exoskeletons have recently gained importance as ergonomic interventions for physically demanding work activities. The growing demand for exoskeletons is leading to a need for new knowledge on the effectiveness of these systems. The Exoworkathlon, as a prospective study approach, aims to assess exoskeletons in realistic use cases and to evaluate them neutrally in their entirety. For this purpose, a first set of four realistic Parcours was developed with experts from relevant industries, the German Social Accident Insurance, and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In addition, a set of ratings was defined to assess subjective user feedback, work quality, and objective physiological parameters. Exoworkathlon aims to bring together developers, researchers, and end-users, strengthen collaborative exchanges, and promote a platform for the prospective holistic data collection for exoskeleton evaluation. In this article, the focus is on the background and methodology of Exoworkathlon.

Language: en

Keywords

exoskeletons’ evaluation; occupational health; realistic working tasks