BACKGROUND: The construction industry faces ergonomic challenges, leading to musculoskeletal disorders and reduced productivity among workers. Industrial exoskeletons have emerged as a promising solution, but there is a notable absence of evaluation of their effectiveness across various tasks in the construction industry. PURPOSE: This study evaluates two passive back-support exoskeletons, one hard (BackX from SuitX) and one soft (Apex from Herowear), in three construction tasks through in-field experiments. METHODS: Comprehensive feedback was collected from the workers through questionnaires and interviews, revealing insights into comfort, movement restriction, support levels, productivity, culture, and workplace attitudes. Shoveling, rebar tying, and welding were assessed to represent varied activities and postures in the construction industry. RESULTS: Workers found both exoskeletons supportive, although the hard exoskeleton caused more movement restriction. Both exoskeletons received relatively high ratings of lower back support, receiving average scores of 7.0 (soft exoskeleton) and 7.5 (rigid exoskeleton) out of 10. Improvements in perceived job performance, with average scores of 6.7 (soft exoskeleton) and 6.1 (rigid exoskeleton) out of 10, were also reported, but users' feedback highlighted task-specific differences. Workers raised concerns about thermal discomfort, weight, and entanglement with external objects. CONCLUSION: Key recommendations are provided to enhance usability and acceptance, including proper training, task-specific usage, ergonomic design improvements, and ensuring compatibility with personal protective equipment. Addressing challenges such as exoskeleton loosening, weight, and mobility restrictions is critical to improve worker comfort and acceptance. This research provides actionable insights for optimizing exoskeleton design and implementation in the construction industry.
Zindashti et al. (Tue,) studied this question.