Acceptance of an upper body exoskeleton for occupational tasks among soldiers
Publication date
2026-06-18
Document type
Forschungsartikel
Author
Organisational unit
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Series or journal
Frontiers in Public Health
ISSN
Periodical volume
14
Article ID
1793794
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
✅
Funding(s)
Language
English
Keyword
Acceptance
Ergonomic support
Exoskeleton
Occupational health
Wearable assistive technology
dtec.bw
Abstract
Introduction:
This study investigated the user experience and perceived acceptance of a shoulder exoskeleton during Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) tasks in a military context. While laboratory research on the same system has shown measurable reductions in muscle activity of 29%–41%, the present field study focused on how end users subjectively evaluate the exoskeleton.
Methods:
Twenty-seven soldiers of the German Armed Forces tested the exoskeleton for approximately 30 min while completing standardized scenarios, including overhead lifting, vehicle decontamination with a spray lance, and casualty rescue. Immediately afterward, participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing usability, wearing comfort, impact on work routine, perceived support, usefulness, skepticism, and intention to use.
Results:
Overall, the exoskeleton was rated as easy to operate (mean item score: 5.15 ± 1.31 on a 7-point scale) and reasonably comfortable to wear (4.64 ± 1.31). Compatibility with work routines and perceived usefulness received moderate ratings (3.79 ± 1.53 and 3.05 ± 1.64, respectively), whereas the perceived mechanical support was notably low (2.78 ± 1.78). Skepticism (2.27 ± 1.08), and intentions to use the system were moderate (3.42 ± 2.08).
Discussion:
The user feedback suggests that while the current design is usable and generally comfortable, acceptance may improve substantially if future systems provide a higher amount of support and an expanded functionality to address a wider variety of tasks. These findings underscore that, beyond biomechanical effectiveness, user acceptance is a critical factor for the successful implementation of exoskeletons as occupational health interventions.
This study investigated the user experience and perceived acceptance of a shoulder exoskeleton during Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) tasks in a military context. While laboratory research on the same system has shown measurable reductions in muscle activity of 29%–41%, the present field study focused on how end users subjectively evaluate the exoskeleton.
Methods:
Twenty-seven soldiers of the German Armed Forces tested the exoskeleton for approximately 30 min while completing standardized scenarios, including overhead lifting, vehicle decontamination with a spray lance, and casualty rescue. Immediately afterward, participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing usability, wearing comfort, impact on work routine, perceived support, usefulness, skepticism, and intention to use.
Results:
Overall, the exoskeleton was rated as easy to operate (mean item score: 5.15 ± 1.31 on a 7-point scale) and reasonably comfortable to wear (4.64 ± 1.31). Compatibility with work routines and perceived usefulness received moderate ratings (3.79 ± 1.53 and 3.05 ± 1.64, respectively), whereas the perceived mechanical support was notably low (2.78 ± 1.78). Skepticism (2.27 ± 1.08), and intentions to use the system were moderate (3.42 ± 2.08).
Discussion:
The user feedback suggests that while the current design is usable and generally comfortable, acceptance may improve substantially if future systems provide a higher amount of support and an expanded functionality to address a wider variety of tasks. These findings underscore that, beyond biomechanical effectiveness, user acceptance is a critical factor for the successful implementation of exoskeletons as occupational health interventions.
Description
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Version
Published version
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