Abstract
This cross-sectional survey of 85 maintenance workers at a Chilean mining company examined acceptability of industrial exoskeletons. Likert items were analyzed by age group (30 or younger, 31 to 40, 41 or older). Willingness to use was high with device knowledge low. Older workers reported lower expected helpfulness and greater distrust (errors). Musculoskeletal discomfort concentrated in the lower back and upper limbs, consistent with tasks identified for assistance. Open-ended responses highlighted expectations of pain and effort relief, alongside constraints of space, fit, and training. Findings indicate favorable social acceptability with practical gaps for implementation pilots integrated with ergonomic controls.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
