Towards a validated glossary of usability attributes for the evaluation of wearable robotic devices.
Diana Herrera-Valenzuela, Jan T Meyer, Antonio J Del-Ama and 3 others
PMID 38419069WHAT IT FOUND
Developers agreed on most usability definitions for wearable robotic devices, but many attributes called relevant were rarely included as design criteria.
Key findings
01The glossary contained 43 usability attributes for external validation.
02In the global survey, 32 attributes received agreement ratings of 4.0 or higher.
03In the global survey, 11 of the 43 attributes received 4.0 or higher for inclusion as design criteria.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The global survey did not reach the estimated sample size of 91 respondents; 70 completed. Not every respondent rated every attribute because the survey was divided into batches. The study asked only wearable-robot developers, not patients, clinicians, or end-users. The validation did not involve several rounds of feedback until all participants reached consensus. The glossary was built in English, and the authors recommend field-specific evaluation before it is used outside wearable robotics. Some respondents reported little usability experience: 10 had not performed any dedicated usability study, and 2 had never had contact with end-users.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 70 developers' agreement as evidence that devices work for patients. The study surveyed developers about definitions, not patients about outcomes.