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

Adam Hess; Jesse V Jacobs; Sarah Sullivan; Dionna O Roberts Williams; Lou N Awad; Diane Dalton; Conor J Walsh; D Adam Quirk

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104400

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

Appl Ergon. 2024 Oct 9:122:104400. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104400. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Adam Hess¹, Jesse V Jacobs², Sarah Sullivan³, Dionna O Roberts Williams³, Lou N Awad⁴, Diane Dalton⁴, Conor J Walsh⁵, D Adam Quirk¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
² Risk Control Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁴ Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ 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.

PMID: 39388886
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104400

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Acceptance; Active exoskeletons; Back exoskeletons; Human factors; Human-machine-interactions; Occupational exoskeletons; Work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Grants and funding

UH3 AR076731/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States