Virtual Boundaries: Investigating the Ethical and Social Risks of Exoskeletons in the Construction Industry

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ogunseiju, Omobolanle ; Cho, Yong Kwon ; Tomori, Mariam ; Rudraraju, Likith
• Description:
  Construction continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, with workers constantly exposed to physically demanding and repetitive activities. Exoskeletons are emerging as ergonomic interventions that amplify human strength and agility while reducing muscle fatigue and discomfort. However, like any robotic technology, exoskeletons may have unintended consequences. While studies have examined the health and safety risks of exoskeletons in construction, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding their ethical and social risks. Issues related to privacy concerns, exoskeletons' design, and discrimination, among many others, are housed in the ethical risks, and social risks often include questions regarding exoskeletons' affordability, accessibility and impact on social identity and communication, among others. This study addresses that gap by investigating the ethical and social risks associated with exoskeleton use in construction, assessing their impact on workers' health and safety and exploring how they can be designed to minimize these risks. This study further developed a comprehensive and practical worker-centric guide aimed at advancing the safe and ethical implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Construction
  • Exoskeleton Device
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Construction workers
  • Exoskeletons
  • Ergonomics
  • Robotics
  • Design standards
  • Ethics
  • Emerging technology
• Series:
  CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training Publications
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region OSHA ; Georgia ; Maryland ; Philadelphia Region OSHA
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  74 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071801
• Citation:
  Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2025 Mar; :1-69
• Email:
  omobolanle@gatech.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  2009/09/01
• End Date:
  2024/08/31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260025/cdc_260025_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.48 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c146fcd06171dc35504636b62ad48629fcb6aa00a15c3af120c8272797a0f48f0c72899d88b546f81d94e6f5f54ed712128ad3d07a69b18377dd08b617c10050