Search for: All records

Exoskeleton as a human augmentation technology has shown a great potential for transforming the future civil engineering operations. However, the inappropriate use of exoskeleton could cause injuries and damages if the user is not well trained. An effective procedural and operational training will make users more aware of the capabilities, restrictions and risks associated with exoskeleton in civil engineering operations. At present, the low availability and high cost of exoskeleton systems make hands-on training less feasible. In addition, different designs of exoskeleton correspond with different activation procedures, muscular engagement and motion boundaries, posing further challenges to exoskeleton training. We propose an “sensation transfer” approach that migrates the physical experience of wearing a real exoskeleton system to first-time users via a passive haptic system in an immersive virtual environment. The body motion and muscular engagement data of 15 experienced exoskeleton users were recorded and replayed in a virtual reality environment. Then a set of haptic devices on key parts of the body (shoulders, elbows, hands, and waist) generate different patterns of haptic cues depending on the trainees’ accuracy of mimicking the actions. The sensation transfer method will enhance the haptic learning experience and therefore accelerate the training. 

Emergency response (ER) workers perform extremely demanding physical and cognitive tasks that can result in serious injuries and loss of life. Human augmentation technologies have the potential to enhance physical and cognitive work-capacities, thereby dramatically transforming the landscape of ER work, reducing injury risk, improving ER, as well as helping attract and retain skilled ER workers. This opportunity has been significantly hindered by the lack of high-quality training for ER workers that effectively integrates innovative and intelligent augmentation solutions. Hence, new ER learning environments are needed that are adaptive, affordable, accessible, and continually available for reskilling the ER workforce as technological capabilities continue to improve. This article presents the research considerations in the design and integration of use-inspired exoskeletons and augmented reality technologies in ER processes and the identification of unique cognitive and motor learning needs of each of these technologies in context-independent and ER-relevant scenarios. We propose a human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) enabled training framework for these technologies in ER. Finally, how these human-centered training requirements for nascent technologies are integrated in an intelligent tutoring system that delivers across tiered access levels, covering the range of virtual, to mixed, to physical reality environments, is discussed.