The challenges, limitations, and opportunities of using exosuits and exoskeletons to assess human performance at work

The novel solutions offered by exosuits and exoskeleton robots enable their use in supporting human performance across sports, leisure, and work. Some articles report how exosuits and exoskeletons have been applied to enhance human performance in areas such as agriculture, logistics, industrial tasks, and rehabilitation. However, there is a limited number of studies and experiments addressing the use of exosuits and rigid body exoskeletons for assessing human performance, such as muscle power and motion, in real-world environments. Our article explores the challenges, limitations, and opportunities of using exosuits and exoskeletons to assess human performance on-site. This discussion is based on a literature review as well as professionals’ and end users’ interviews during former and ongoing three pilot studies conducted between 2022 - 2025.