Cognitive Load and Fall Risk Dynamics in Human-Exoskeleton Interaction for Construction Workers

Akinwale Okunola¹, Abiola Akanmu¹, Houtan Jebelli²

1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 516 to 525. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_50.

Abstract

Exoskeleton is increasingly perceived as an ergonomic solution to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. However, their use could lead to unintended consequences for users, such as increased cognitive workload and elevated fall risk on construction sites. This study examined the relationship between cognitive load and fall risk metrics among exoskeleton users. Sixteen participants were engaged in simulated construction framing tasks performed with and without an exoskeleton. Electroencephalography sensors and pressure insoles were employed to capture participants’ brain activity and foot plantar pressure distribution, respectively. Paired t-test was used to compute the statistical significance between the with and without exoskeleton conditions for fall risk and cognitive load. Spearman correlation test was used to examine the relationship between the power spectral density of electroencephalography data, indicative of cognitive load, and pressure-time integral metric of foot plantar pressure distribution among exoskeleton users. The findings revealed moderate relationships in two directions (direct and indirect relationship). Elevated cognitive load, as indicated by increased power spectral density values in the parietal lobe and occipital lobe directly correlates with fall risk metrics at the toe region. Conversely, an indirect relationship was observed in the frontal lobe and occipital lobe which inversely correlates with the heel foot region. By highlighting the relationship between cognitive load and fall risk metrics, this study underscores the importance of integrating cognitive factors into strategies aimed at mitigating fall risk among exoskeleton users on construction sites.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track B, Friday 8 November 2024, 11:00 to 13:00, room WA 224 B, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Assoc. Prof. Pernille Christensen.

How to Cite

Okunola, A., Akanmu, A., & Jebelli, H. (2025). Cognitive Load and Fall Risk Dynamics in Human-Exoskeleton Interaction for Construction Workers. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 516–525). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_50

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.