Passive exoskeletons in construction: Working principles, challenges, and future research directions

In the physically demanding construction industry, workers frequently face tasks that require considerable effort. Prior research had explored the use of passive exoskeletons (PEs) to alleviate physical strain, boost work efficiency, and prevent musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers. However, existing review studies have not addressed the fundamental working principles and challenges of these devices. This paper aims to conduct a critical review of working principles, challenges, and future research directions for PEs in the construction industry. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 60 relevant research articles were retrieved from Scopus, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. From this set of articles, 25 commercially available PEs were identified, and the necessary information on their working principles and challenges was obtained. The results indicate that PEs operate on three core principles: muscle assistance, joint load reduction, and posture maintenance. While design approaches differ in their working principles, users face usability challenges, including discomfort, limited functionality, restricted ROM, altered joint kinematics, and altered gait patterns. To address these limitations, future research should prioritize design modifications for greater versatility, lighter weight, and lower cost, alongside the development of comprehensive user training protocols. This review would provide valuable guidance for researchers, workers, and safety managers to inform decisions on developing PEs for industrial use and mitigating occupational risks and hazards.