Mapping User Journeys in Occupational Exoskeleton Adoption: the Adoption UX Curve (AUXC)

Occupational exoskeletons represent a promising innovation to mitigate biomechanical risk factors leading to musculoskeletal disorders. However, their full potential will only be realized if operators sustain their use over time. Thus, there is a need to understand the trajectories inducing operators to maintain prolonged use. To address this need, longitudinal studies are sometimes conducted in the field. However, they are costly, and it is common for participants to discontinue their participation. In this work-in-progress paper, we introduce a retrospective method founded on the Adoption UX Curve (AUXC). The AUXC aims to retrace usage patterns that have led operators to continue using exoskeletons. We expect the results to enhance our understanding of the adoption process of occupational exoskeletons and to potentially serve as an effective alternative to longitudinal studies.