Today, ASTM International’s Exo Technology Center of Excellence announced a student paper competition on designing safe exoskeletons and exosuits. The paper competition encourages students to develop, present, and publish high-quality research papers in the area of exo technologies, including exoskeletons, exosuits, and related wearable technology.

Co-sponsored by ASTM International’s exoskeleton and exosuits committee (F48), the paper competition is open to all students currently enrolled (full or part-time) in associate, undergraduate, or graduate programs in higher education institutions. 

Ideas for the paper competition include, but are not limited to:

• Existing exoskeleton systems require a period of adaptation by the end-user. For a new user, task performance is not likely to reach a steady-state immediately. How do we account for familiarization and learning effects, and hence, what are acceptable test durations?
• How do we better understand and quantify the cognitive demands involved with using exoskeletons? 
• How does fit affect performance? 
• What are the potential positive and/or adverse consequences of prolonged use of exoskeletons?
• How do we characterize the critical dimensions of adjustability in exoskeleton designs to allow them to be applicable to and effective for use in a range of tasks, and to ensure fit, comfort, and usability for a broad set of users?
• What are the important factors driving the adoption and use of exoskeletons in diverse sectors, in particular, to identify key facilitators and barriers?
• What are some innovative designs that accommodate safe use?
• How can exoskeletons be integrated into an automated facility or environment such as one that has co-bots?

Applicants are requested to submit their papers to bizdev@astm.org with the subject header “ASTM ET CoE Student Paper Competition: name of applicant no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST) June 19, 2020.

For additional information on application and submission requirements, visit www.etcoe.org/student-competition. 

Recently, the center also virtually held the first advisory board meeting. The board includes representatives from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Toyota Motor, Harvard University, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sarcos Robotics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC).

To learn more about the Exo Technology Center of Excellence, visit www.etcoe.org. 

Media Inquiries: Dan Bergels, tel +1.610.832.9602; dbergels@astm.org 

Release #11012

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