How Familiarization Impacts Construction Workers’ Acceptance of an Active Exoskeleton: Insights from a Case Study

Abstract

Research on occupational exoskeletons (OEs) aims to assist workers in preventing the occurrence of occupational diseases such as musculoskeletal disorders. To support the OEs uptake in the industries, exoskeletons must be effective from a physical assistance point of view; however, many other factors affect device acceptance and workers’ approval. Moreover, when testing in industries, the use of electronic devices for test evaluation (e.g., EMGs, MoCap systems, etc.) can be problematic, and the number of candidates available is usually limited. Therefore, evaluating the reliability of qualitative results (e.g., questionnaires) obtained on small samples is critical. This paper investigates the impact of the first use of a back-support OE on a population of five construction workers tested in an operative construction site. The investigation evaluates whether the results obtained during the first days of tests are affected by bias and whether the introduction of a familiarization period with the device converges users’ opinions. Qualitative feedback was collected to assess the perceived physical exertion, the load associated with the task, and the overall exoskeleton acceptance. The reliability of the results was assessed by calculating the Coefficient of Variation (CoV) index, and the outcomes were used to investigate workers’ perceptions of the exoskeleton. Evidence showed a bias and potential over-estimation in the results obtained during the first test day. After familiarization, the results of the questionnaires are up to 35% more reliable, the physical exertion perceived on the trunk is reduced by 42%, while the acceptance of the device increases from 81% to 93%.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Applied Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗