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Table 2 Importance of exoskeleton design features

From: A survey of stakeholder perspectives on exoskeleton technology

Exoskeleton design features

Mean importance

Standard deviation

Median importance

Minimizes risk of falling

4.54

0.828

5

Purchase cost

4.39

0.912

5

Comfort

4.38

0.838

5

Repair and maintenance cost

4.34

0.844

4

Ease of putting on and taking off the device

4.25

1.033

5

Range of battery life

4.23

0.859

4

Ability to walk on uneven surfaces

4.22

0.922

4

Amount of energy needed for use

4.15

1.015

4

Ability to carry out daily tasks while standing

4.13

0.946

4

Portability of the device

4.09

0.942

4

Ability to toilet

4.05

1.071

4

Ability to use to get in and out of a car

3.97

1.033

4

Ability to climb stairs

3.91

1.029

4

Ability to use without arm crutches

3.71

1.006

4

Walking speed

3.64

0.985

4

Length of training to become proficient

3.34

1.082

3

Overall appearance

3.23

1.177

3

Valid N = 405

   
  1. Descriptive statistics used to illustrate the difference in importance between ratings of 17 potential design features. These features were ranked by respondents on a Likert scale from 1 – Very Unimportant, to 5 – Very Important.