What are user perspectives of exoskeleton technology? A literature review
Authors
Hill, DeborahHolloway, Catherine Sarah
Ramirez, Dafne Zuleima Morgado
Smitham, Peter
Pappas, Yannis
Issue Date
2017-08-29
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Objectives: Exoskeletons are electromechanical devices that are worn by a human operator to increase their physical performance. Several exoskeletons have been developed to restore functional movements, such as walking, for those with paralysis due to neurological impairment. However, existing exoskeletons have limitations with respect to affordability, size, weight, speed, and efficiency, which may reduce their functional application. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to collect and narratively synthesize the perspectives of users of exoskeleton technology.Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across several healthcare related online databases.Results: A total of 4,619 articles were identified, of which 51 were selected for full review. Only three studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, one showed an incongruence between users' expectations and experiences of device use; another reported perspectives on potential rather than actual device use, ranking design features in order of perceived importance; and the other reported ratings of ease of device use in training.Conclusions: The heterogeneity of studies included within this review, leave the authors unable to suggest consensus as to user perspectives of exoskeleton technology. However, it is apparent that users are able to suggest priorities for exoskeleton design and that users' perspectives of exoskeleton technology might change in response to experience of use. The authors, therefore, suggest that exoskeleton design should be an iterative process, whereby user perspectives are sought, incorporated and refined by tangible experience, to ensure that devices developed are acceptable to and usable by the populations they seek to re-enable.Citation
Hill D, Holloway CS, Ramirez DZM, Smitham P, Pappas Y (2017) 'What are user perspectives of exoskeleton technology? A literature review', International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 33 (2), pp.160-167.Publisher
Cambridge University PressPubMed ID
28849760Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0266-4623Sponsors
The authors acknowledge the support of the wider Wearable Assistive Material (WAM) Project Group: Richard Jackson; Mark Miodownik; Benjamin Oldham; Kristopher Page; Quentin Pankhurst; Ivan Parkin; Mark Ransley; Nick Tyler; and Rhys Williams. This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant number EP/K020323/1). Mrs. Hill reports grants from Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, during the conduct of the study. Dr. Holloway, Morgado Ramirez, and Smitham report grants from EPSRC during the conduct of the study. Dr. Pappas has nothing to disclose.ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/S0266462317000460
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