Guiding exoskeleton development for healthy ageing: Co-design insights from older adults
R. Claeys, E. Embrechts, A. Bourazeri, R. Debeuf, M. Eggermont, M. Firouzi, B. Filtjens, T. Verstraten, E. Swinnen, D. Beckwée
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AbstractHealthy ageing, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the process of acquiring and maintaining the functional ability that promotes well-being as people age (WHO, 2015). This functional ability is related to a person's intrinsic capacity as well as the environment in which they live and with which they interact. To promote healthy ageing, lower limb exoskeletons (LLEs) could represent a game-changer, as they may act as (1) an assessment tool (Moeller et al., 2023), able to measure intrinsic capacity, and (2) an augmentation tool (Grimmer et al., 2019), providing additional support for improved functional ability in daily life. According to the importance of including end-users in the development of technology (i.e. user-centred approach), the purpose of this study is to capture the insights of older adults (aged 65 and above) on the needs and requirements of LLEs that can be implemented in a home environment.Keywords: healthy ageing, exoskeletons, assistive technology, older adults, fatigue
R. Claeys, E. Embrechts, A. Bourazeri, R. Debeuf, M. Eggermont, M. Firouzi, B. Filtjens, T. Verstraten, E. Swinnen, D. Beckwée (2024). Guiding exoskeleton development for healthy ageing: Co-design insights from older adults. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.1073.opp