End User Needs Elicitation for a Full-body Exoskeleton to Assist the Elderly

peer-reviewedFor ageing individuals, declining physical functional capacity can lead to loss of independence, decreased engagement in the\udcommunity and reductions in quality of life. As such, solutions that can effectively and affordably supplement older adults’\uddiminishing functional capacity, and thus facilitate maintained independence and social participation over time are urgently\udrequired. The AXO-SUIT project – funded by the European Commission under the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme -\udis developing assistive exoskeleton devices for older adults with impaired mobilityand/ordifficulties in performingactivities of\uddaily living. This paper will report on-going research which aims to identify end user needs,and thus provide inputs to specify the\uddesign requirements of the AXO-SUIT exoskeletons. The objectives of this initial questionnaire study are to identify the\udfunctional assistance requirements of potential end users of the AXO-SUIT in terms of mobility, reaching and handling, and fullbody\udsupport for performing activities of daily livingat home and in the wider community. The end user requirements identified\udwill be used to formulate functional specifications for the AXO-SUIT lower-body and upper-body sub-systems, which will\udensure that the AXO-SUIT prototypes will provide for the specific mobility, reaching and handling needs of end users, and also\udto provide useful insights into the perspectives and needs of end users in relation to assistive exoskeletons in general