Passive Shoulder Exoskeleton Use Over Days During a Variable Visuomotor Wiring Task

This study investigated the use of shoulder exoskeletons in a visuomotor upper extremity wiring task over 3 days. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to an exoskeleton or control group. Their task performance, perceived exertion and workload, erceived acceptance, and neural activation patterns over 3 days were obtained. Despite similar exertion ratings between groups, the exoskeleton group reported lower perceived workload and higher task accuracy, suggesting that users benefited from the exoskeleton’s use, allowing for greater resources to attend to task-related cognitive processes. Neuroergonomics analysis revealed differences in neural signatures between the two groups indicating that exoskeleton group exhibited increased activation over days in motor function-related brain regions, while the control group demonstrated greater connectivity within the executive control network. These findings suggest that shoulder exoskeletons offer physical and cognitive benefits in tasks that require complex cognitive processing through specific neuromotor adaptations over days, which has training implications for exoskeleton use.