An Investigation into the Barriers for Adoption of Exoskeletons on the United States Construction Industry
Open Access
- Author:
- Breneman, Madeline
- Area of Honors:
- Architectural Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Architectural Engineering
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Houtan Jebelli, Thesis Supervisor
Richard Mistrick, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Exoskeletons
Construction Industry
Wearable Technology - Abstract:
- Construction work is often inherently complex, involving physically intensive tasks and repetitive tasks, often performed in unusual postures in dynamic environments, which exposes workers to the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries (WMSDs). A wide range of wearable robots, i.e., exoskeletons, are emerging as ergonomic solutions in the construction sector to reduce work-related musculoskeletal injuries by providing lift support, weight dispersion, and posture correction. While the potential for exoskeletons to attenuate muscular demands on construction workers has promising prospects, there has been a glaring lack of adoption of exoskeletons in the US construction sector. To date, there is a lack of studies to identify the barriers associated with the implementation of active back support exoskeletons (BSEs) on construction sites. Towards this end, this paper aims to investigate the barriers to adopting exoskeletons in the US construction industry, which in turn will be fundamental for the widespread implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry at an organizational level. To determine the limiting factors to the widespread implementation of exoskeletons in construction, a set of questionnaires was developed and distributed nationwide to construction industry professionals. The questionnaires were structured to capture the facilitators and barriers influencing the implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry. Results indicated that cost and worker comfortability were the most common limiting factors for implementing exoskeletons in the construction industry. The results of this study can be used by researchers and practitioners to identify and determine implementation barriers and current perspectives of exoskeletons in the construction industry.