Occupational exoskeletons (EXOs) provide the opportunity to reduce fatigue and physical demands, however little is known about adoption and use of such technologies especially among varying company sizes and especially small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Ten focus groups (including seven SMEs) were held across the state of Ohio, with participants representing line employees, management, and safety. Employees tried on a variety of EXOs and then participated in discussions focusing on the adoption and use of this new technology at their site. Consistent comments were obtained regarding donning, fitting, dissemination, and use strategies; space constraints related to EXO “footprints”; and potential undesirable impacts of EXO use. Major concerns expressed by participants were task-specific, and were related to costs and work conditions (e.g., humidity, temperature, dust). Overall, individuals from larger companies and diverse SMEs expressed a strong interest in how EXOs could help employees with repetitive tasks that were often difficult to modify or eliminate. Many concerns still exist, though, regarding specific benefits and costs, how to develop training programs on EXO use, and understanding potential adverse effects of EXO use. Findings from this study help capture the perspectives of diverse enterprises toward adopting and using occupational EXOs to reduce the risk of injury.

职业外骨骼（EXO）提供了减少疲劳和身体需求的机会，但是对于采用和使用此类技术知之甚少，尤其是在各种公司规模尤其是中小型企业（SME）中。在俄亥俄州全州举行了十个焦点小组会议（包括七个中小型企业），与会代表线员工，管理层和安全部门。员工尝试了各种EXO，然后参加了讨论，讨论了如何在其站点上采用和使用这一新技术。在穿戴，装配，传播和使用策略方面获得了一致的评论；与EXO“足迹”有关的空间限制；以及使用EXO的潜在不良影响。与会者表示的主要关注点是针对特定任务的，并且与成本和工作条件有关（例如，湿度，温度，灰尘）。总体而言，来自大型公司和中小型企业的个人对EXO如何帮助员工完成通常难以修改或消除的重复性任务表现出浓厚的兴趣。但是，关于特定的收益和成本，如何制定使用EXO的培训计划以及了解使用EXO的潜在不利影响，仍然存在许多担忧。这项研究的结果有助于抓住不同企业对采用和使用职业EXO减少伤害风险的观点。如何制定有关使用EXO的培训计划，以及了解使用EXO的潜在不利影响。这项研究的结果有助于抓住不同企业对采用和使用职业EXO减少伤害风险的观点。如何制定有关使用EXO的培训计划，以及了解使用EXO的潜在不利影响。这项研究的结果有助于抓住不同企业对采用和使用职业EXO减少伤害风险的观点。