Classification and characterization of user groups for wearable fall protection systems: A scoping review

Wearable fall protection systems (WFPSs) effectively mitigate fall-related injury risks. However, varying application contexts and user characteristics create distinct demands for these assistive technologies. This review investigates the current research status and identifies the key characteristics to classify WFPS users. A literature search across IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases (2014-2024) yielded 40 eligible studies, selected following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. These studies emphasize the importance of addressing user-specific needs and optimizing technology to enhance usability. Five user groups and their sub-groups were identified, including general users, occupational workers, patients with mobility-impairing chronic diseases, people with disabilities, and wearable exoskeleton robot users. Most studies focused on older adults within the healthy population, with comparatively limited research on disease patients, occupational workers, people with disabilities, and wearable exoskeleton robot users. Significant differences in fall-risk profiles, activity patterns, and technological needs were found among user groups, which affect the effectiveness and acceptance of WFPSs. This review highlights a mismatch between user needs and the distribution of existing research efforts, summarizes challenges across different user groups, and informs future work toward more usable and adaptable systems in real-world contexts.