Factors influencing the adoption of passive exoskeletons in the construction industry: Industry perspectives

Abstract

The emergence of exoskeletons has opened new opportunities to reduce back injuries in the construction industry. Perspectives of construction stakeholders regarding factors that influence adoption of exoskeletons, would inform successful implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry. This study aims to understand factors that are critical for the adoption of back-support exoskeletons in the construction industry. Industry practitioners were surveyed to identify the important stakeholders whose perspectives are critical to decisions regarding the adoption of exoskeletons. The survey also identifies the factors that could influence the implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry. Analytical hierarchy process was employed to evaluate and rank the factors. Informed by the survey results, two focus groups were conducted to understand how the factors influence the implementation process. The results identified construction workers, supervisors, regulatory bodies, ergonomists, corporate management, and safety professionals as the key stakeholders for exoskeleton adoption in the construction industry. Exoskeleton features such as usability, durability, long-term benefits and compatibility with work tasks are the most important facilitators, whereas catch and snag risks, fit, weight, and cost justification are the most critical barriers. The focus group discussions highlighted the benefits and applications of back-support exoskeletons, design modifications to exoskeletons, and challenges to adopting exoskeletons in the construction industry. Construction companies could leverage these findings to develop exoskeleton implementation strategies. Researchers and designers could use the design modifications to improve adaptability of exoskeletons for construction work. This study contributes to the socio-technical systems theory by defining key decision-makers and factors influencing exoskeleton adoption.