Relevance of hazards in exoskeleton applications: a survey-based enquiry.
Stefano Massardi, David Pinto-Fernandez, Jan Babič and 10 others
PMID 37259115WHAT IT FOUND
Exoskeleton misalignments were the most frequent issue, affecting daily use for a quarter of respondents.
Unintended motion was rated the most severe risk. Experts blamed poor training and sensor failures. Most hazards were rated rare and minor, likely because devices were tested in controlled clinical settings.
Key findings
01Misalignments were the most recurrent adverse event, reported as happening daily or several times per session by 25% of respondents.
02Unintended and unexpected motion was rated as the most dangerous event, with 19% of respondents classifying its consequences as severe.
03Insufficient training was identified as the major cause of user errors by 67.7% of respondents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was small (65 respondents) and heavily skewed toward researchers and engineers, with very few clinicians (four physiotherapists). Participants reported on a wide variety of exoskeleton devices, making it impossible to draw conclusions about any specific model. Most experiences were likely gathered in controlled clinical or laboratory settings with staff supervision, which may underestimate the frequency and severity of hazards in real-world, unsupervised use. Severity ratings rely on subjective user perception rather than objective medical data, and skin injuries can appear days after use, leading to potential underreporting.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), a public research organization. No commercial conflicts of interest are reported in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the generally low severity and frequency ratings as evidence that exoskeletons are safe for unsupervised home use. The authors state that these results likely reflect experiences in controlled clinical environments with staff supervision, which masks the true risk of events like falls or skin injuries in real-world settings.