Exoskeletons and Exosuits Could Benefit from Mode-Switching Body Interfaces That Loosen/Tighten to Improve Thermal Comfort

Abstract

Exoskeletons and exosuits (exos) are wearable devices that physically assist movement. User comfort is critically important for societal adoption of exos. Thermal comfort (a person’s satisfaction with their thermal environment) represents a key design challenge. Exos must physically attach/interface to the body to apply forces, and these interfaces inevitably trap some heat. It is envisioned that thermal comfort could be improved by designing mode-switching exo interfaces that temporarily loosen around a body segment when assistive forces are not being applied. To inform exo design, a case series study (N = 4) based on single-subject design principles was performed. Our objective was to assess individual responses to skin temperature and thermal comfort during physical activity with a Loose leg-sleeve interface compared with a Form-Fitting one, and immediately after a Form-Fitting sleeve switched to Loose. Skin under the Loose sleeve was 2–3 °C (4–6 °F) cooler after 25 min of physical activity, and two of four participants reported the Loose sleeve improved their thermal comfort. After completion of the physical activity, the Form-Fitting sleeve was loosened, causing a 2–4 °C (3–8 °F) drop in skin temperature underneath for all participants, and two participants to report slightly improved thermal comfort. These findings confirmed that an exo that can quickly loosen its interface when assistance is not required—and re-tighten when it is— has the potential to enhance thermal comfort for some individuals and environments. More broadly, this study demonstrates that mode-switching mechanisms in exos can do more than adjust physical assistance: they can also exploit thermodynamics and facilitate thermoregulation in a way that enhances comfort for exo users.

Emerging trends in upper-limb embedded devices: A qualitative research study

“…Exoskeletons and exosuits are wearable devices that can enhance human capabilities, but they are designed for different purposes and have different features (Burton, 2020;Elstub et al, 2021;Pérez Vidal et al, 2021). As previously mentioned, exosuits, also known as exoskeleton suits, are more lightweight and flexible than exoskeletons and can also be used by healthy people to enhance their performance by assisting with industrial applications, as illustrated in Fig.…”

“…Exoskeletons can also be designed to reduce arm weight when carrying tools such as screw guns or paint guns. Elstub et al (2021) define exoskeletons and exosuits (exos) as wearable devices that enhance physical activity, posture, and motion; devices that biomechanically assist with a variety of tasks, including bending, lifting, reaching, walking, running, and jumping, and are used in various applications, including clinical and occupational settings.…”