End User Needs Elicitation for a Full-body Exoskeleton to Assist the Elderly

O’Sullivan, Leonard; Power, Valerie; Virk, G.S.; Masud, Nauman; Haider, Usman; Christensen, Steffan Wittrup; Bai, Shaoping; Cuypers, Ludo; D’Havé, M.; Vonck, Kristl

doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2015.07.302

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…To date, little is known about the opinions and needs of older adults with respect to exoskeleton technology for home use, as this topic has only been addressed by a few studies. For example, in a questionnaire, older adults rated the importance of different body motions needed to perform their daily activities [22]. The results indicated that assistance would be required during actions such as sitting down, standing up, standing, lifting, carrying, and bending.…”

Section: User Perspective On the Use Of Exoskeleton Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When physical deficiencies make it increasingly difficult to move, people stop moving, which increases both the risk of diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle (e.g., cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity) and the risk of withdrawing 10:2 M. M. Jung and G. D. S. Ludden from participation in society [33,37,40]. Moreover, mobility loss prevents people from performing their daily activities, which highly impacts the quality of life of a person and often increases the dependency on others [22,37,40]. In light of the aforementioned concerns, the World Health Organization has proposed a framework for action towards active aging, which is defined as "the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security to enhance quality of life as people age" [39].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What Do Older Adults and Clinicians Think About Traditional Mobility Aids and Exoskeleton Technology?

Jung

Ludden

2019

J. Hum.-Robot Interact.

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Mobility impairments can prevent older adults from performing their daily activities, which highly impacts quality of life. Powered exoskeletons, which are wearable robotic devices, can assist older adults by providing additional support to compensate for age-related decline in muscle strength. To date, little is known about the opinions and needs of older adults regarding exoskeletons, as current research primarily focuses on the technical development of exoskeleton devices and on groups with more severe mobility impairments such as people with spinal cord injuries. Therefore, the aim of this article is to inform the design of exoskeletons for older adults from a person-centered perspective. Interviews were conducted with seven older adults and six clinicians. Results indicated that exoskeletons can be a valuable addition to existing mobility devices to support older adults during walking and other actions necessary to perform their daily activities. Although reactions towards the concept of exoskeleton technology were positive, older adults did not currently perceive the need for an exoskeleton device. Exoskeletons for older adults should be easy to use; preferably, users should be able to put the device on and take it off independently. Moreover, the appearance of the exoskeleton should be as inconspicuous as possible, as most older adults do not like to advertise their need for assistive devices. At this point in time, the willingness to use exoskeleton technology will depend on personal needs and preferences.

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Section: User Perspective On the Use Of Exoskeleton Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Do Older Adults and Clinicians Think About Traditional Mobility Aids and Exoskeleton Technology?

Jung

Ludden

2019

J. Hum.-Robot Interact.

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“…Exoskeletons and exosuits have the potential to improve mobility and augment human performance in a meaningful way (Bhatnagar et al, 2017; Borisoff, Khalili, Ben Mortenson, & Vander Loos, 2017; Fosch-Villaronga & Özcan, 2019; Huysamen, Bosch, et al, 2018; Robinson, MacDonald, & Broadbent, 2014; Yandell, Quinlivan, Popov, Walsh, & Zelik, 2017). There is increased focus on exoskeletons as mobility aids for specific cohorts, such as older adults (O’Sullivan et al, 2015; Shore, Power, De Eyto, & O’Sullivan, 2018; XoSoft, 2016). Reduced ability is a major factor that can impact on independence and autonomy to conduct daily activities (Bedaf, Huijnen, van den Heuvel, & de Witte, 2017; Mitzner, Sanford, & Rogers, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoscore: A Design Tool to Evaluate Factors Associated With Technology Acceptance of Soft Lower Limb Exosuits by Older Adults

et al. 2019

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Objective This pilot study proposed and performs initial testing with Exoscore, a design evaluation tool to assess factors related to acceptance of exoskeleton by older adults, during the technology development and testing phases. Background As longevity increases and our aging population continues to grow, assistive technologies such as exosuits and exoskeletons can provide enhanced quality of life and independence. Exoscore is a design and prototype stage evaluation method to assess factors related to perceptions of the technology, the aim being to optimize technology acceptance. Method In this pilot study, we applied the three-phase Exoscore tool during testing with 11 older adults. The aims were to explore the feasibility and face validity of applying the design evaluation tool during user testing of a prototype soft lower limb exoskeleton. Results The Exoscore method is presented as part of an iterative design evaluation process. The method was applied during an exoskeleton research and development project. The data revealed the aspects of the concept design that rated favorably with the users and the aspects of the design that required more attention to improve their potential acceptance when deployed as finished products. Conclusion Exoscore was effectively applied to three phases of evaluation during a testing session of a soft exoskeleton. Future exoskeleton development can benefit from the application of this design evaluation tool. Application This study reveals how the introduction of Exoscore to exoskeleton development will be advantageous when assessing technology acceptance of exoskeletons by older adults.

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“…Highest priority of lower body, upper body, and full body motions, as ranked by questionnaire participants 36. …”

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confidence: 99%

Design of a powered full-body exoskeleton for physical assistance of elderly people

Christensen

Rafique

Bai

2021

International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems

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The development of full-body exoskeletons has been limited due to design complexities, mechanical integration intricacies, and heavier weight, among others. Consequently, very few full-body powered exoskeletons were developed to address these challenges, in spite of increasing demand for physical assistance at full-body level. This article presents an overall design and development of a powered full-body exoskeleton called “FB-AXO.” Primarily, FB-AXO consists of two main subsystems, a lower-body and an upper-body subsystem connected together through waist and spine modules. FB-AXO is developed for the support of weaker ageing adults so that they can continue functioning their daily activities. At the onset of the project, a set of functional and design requirements has been formulated with an extensive end-user involvement and then used in realizing the FB-AXO. The final FB-AXO design comprises of 27 degrees of freedom, of which 10 are active and 17 are passive, having a total system weight of 25 kg. Overall, the article elaborates comprehensively the design, construction, and preliminary testing of FB-AXO. The work effectively addresses design challenges including kinematic compatibility and modularity with innovative solutions. The details of the mechanics, sensors, and electronics of the two subsystems along with specifics of human-exoskeleton interfaces and ranges of motion are also provided. The FB-AXO exoskeleton effectively demonstrated to assist full-body motions such as normal walking, standing, bending as well as executing lifting and carrying tasks to meet the daily living demands of older users.

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End User Needs Elicitation for a Full-body Exoskeleton to Assist the Elderly

Cited by 19 publications

References 8 publications

What Do Older Adults and Clinicians Think About Traditional Mobility Aids and Exoskeleton Technology?

What Do Older Adults and Clinicians Think About Traditional Mobility Aids and Exoskeleton Technology?

Exoscore: A Design Tool to Evaluate Factors Associated With Technology Acceptance of Soft Lower Limb Exosuits by Older Adults

Design of a powered full-body exoskeleton for physical assistance of elderly people

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