A Current Review of Human Factors and Ergonomic Intervention With Exoskeletons

Abstract

Research and development of exoskeletons began as early as the 1960s. Recent advancement in technology has spurred a further research into the field specifically at rehabilitation and human performance augmentation. Human performance augmenting exoskeletons find use in the military, emergency services, industrial and space applications, and training. Rehabilitation exoskeletons assist in posture support and replacing lost function. Exoskeleton research is broadly broken up in this chapter by anthropometry: lower body, upper body, and extremities. The development for various anthropometry has their own unique set of challenges. This chapter provides a brief history, discusses current trends in research, looks at some of the technology involved in development, the potential benefits of using exoskeletons, and looks at the possible future improvements in research.