Conference PaperStudying the Effects of Back-Support Exoskeletons on Workers’ Cognitive Load during Material Handling TasksLiu, Yizhi; Gautam, Yogesh; Ojha, Amit; Shayesteh, Shayan; Jebelli, HoutanExoskeletons, also known as wearable robots, are being studied as a potential solution to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in construction. The exoskeletons can help enhance workers’ postures and provide lift support, reducing the muscular demands on workers while executing construction tasks. Despite the potential of exoskeletons inreducing the risk of WMSDs, there is a lack of understanding about the potential effects ofexoskeletons on workers’ psychological states. This lack of knowledge raises concerns thatexoskeletons may lead to psychological risks, such as cognitive overload, among workers. Tobridge this gap, this study aims to assess the impact of back-support exoskeletons (BSE) onworkers’ cognitive load during material lifting tasks. To accomplish this, a physiologically basedcognitive load assessment framework was developed. This framework used wearable biosensorsto capture the physiological signals of workers and applied Autoencoder and Ensemble Learningtechniques to train a machine learning classifier based on the signals to estimate cognitive loadlevels of workers while wearing the exoskeleton. Results showed that using BSE increasedworkers’ cognitive load by 33% compared to not using it during material handling tasks. Thefindings can aid in the design and implementation of exoskeletons in the construction industry.American Society of Civil Engineers2024-03-1810517153Construction Research Congress 2024659 to 6699780784485262https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485262.0672410255Des Moines, IowaNational Science Foundation