Investigating Workers’ Attitude toward Exoskeletons: The Role of Bodily Integration

Abstract

New technologies for human augmentation have emerged over the years and changed the relationship between humans and technology from an interaction to an integration (e.g., exoskeletons in the workplace). Although the literature has discussed bodily integration and the impact of human augmentation technology on embodied experience, the specific type of integration and its effect on attitudes toward technology remain unclear. Therefore, this paper investigates the dimensions characterizing the relationship emerging from workers’ use of exoskeletons. We filmed workers performing tasks with and without exoskeletons. These workers then conducted two Q-sorts about their embodied experiences. By analyzing Q-data and video footage, we identified non-hierarchical models of human- technology relationships. We observed four bodily integration types to various degrees: super body (i.e., a high sense of agency and body ownership), chauffeured body (i.e., a low sense of agency and low sense of body ownership), tele- body (e., a high sense of agency and low sense of body ownership), and possessed body (i.e., a low sense of agency and a high sense of body ownership). We found a link between “super body” and a positive, accepting, attitude toward exoskeletons despite the related long-term ethical issues. We also found that participants who experienced a “chauffeured body” did so because they had difficulty regaining control over their movements. Therefore, strategies for developing exoskeletons should focus on personalized and transparent algorithms that manage human-exoskeleton interactions while increasing user agency from several angles.