Exoskeletons have a problem: They can strain the brain - osu.edu
( July 21, 2021; osu.edu )
I don't see anything in the article about training or experience with the exoskeleton. I can only imagine that it's like any other tool, and the cognitive effort goes down as people learn how to interact with it.
Exoskeletons – wearable devices used by workers on assembly lines or in warehouses to alleviate stress on their lower backs – may compete with valuable resources in the brain while people work, canceling out the physical benefits of wearing them, a new study suggests.
The study, published recently in the journal Applied Ergonomics, found that when people wore exoskeletons while performing tasks that required them to think about their actions, their brains worked overtime and their bodies competed with the exoskeletons rather than working in harmony with them. The study indicates that exoskeletons may place enough burden on the brain that potential benefits to the body are negated.
Read the rest from osu.edu: Exoskeletons have a problem: They can strain the brain
-h/t RealClear Science
Check the #penny4thoughts tag to find other active conversations.
Thanks for sharing info from this article. I have older relatives in my family that have trouble standing up and walking, so I've been paying attention to news stories and articles on exoskeletons since it might help them. From what I have read, they are in development by at least 2 companies and I didn't realize the were already out there and being tested.
I have 2 thoughts. First, maybe this brain issue could be lessened if there was a way to provide feedback to the brain on how much force the exoskeleton was providing. I think the problem is the lack of a complete loop where the brain is commanding the muscles to lift a person or move them, but the brain isn't getting feedback in a natural way. It probably gets feedback registering as a force on one's body from an external source, which it is, and that feels quite un-natural. If there were a way to have the brain understand what forces are being exerted, it wouldn't be such a burden on the brain.
Second, if a person is old or otherwise unable to move, and it greatly impacts their life, an exoskeleton might have more advantages than disadvantages for them, and they would like to have one even with this brain issue. I'm thinking the brain issue is due to novelty anyway, and the brain will get used to the way the exoskeleton works with the body, over time. I'm sure that could be the subject of another study.
Thanks for the reply! These are both good points. The article was about exoskeletons in the industrial environment, but you're right that the considerations are very different in the context of basic needs for health and mobility and that future technology changes might reduce any problems that exist in today's versions.
Brain health should have a higher priority. Physical pains can be alleviated with enough rest, pain killers, or sometimes a cold bath. Brain injury, on the other hand, is critical and a delicate issue even when it is a tiny one.
As a complement I can say that this technology has to continue evolving so that one day it works in harmony with the mind and body.
Also, if you're more adept at subtracting 13 from random numbers (or if you get better at that with practice), I'd think the strain from attempting two demanding tasks at once might diminish.
I have this debate with people about "supertasking". Some studies show that the human brain is only wired to "do one thing at a time". The implication is usually that multitasking is bad in a business environment.
But I find that I can multitask when I'm accomplishing tasks that take relatively less cognitive load. I try to train myself to do multiple things at once, and it's definitely more difficult when at least one of those things is new, or it's harder to accomplish. But, it gets easier with practice.
I don't know if supertaskers are real, or if multitasking is actually possible. But I like to think we can learn to mitigate the negative effects of cognitive overload with deliberate strategy and persistence, given the right approach.
When I was commuting into the city, I used to pass the time in traffic by trying to figure out whether I could get a palindrome from peoples' license plates by following the 196 algorithm in my head (reverse the digits, then add the original number to the reversed number; repeat until a palindrome was found or I lost track of the numbers). I still do it, once in a while, but with remote work, I don't drive as often.
It never felt like it was getting any easier, but maybe I just didn't practice enough. On the other hand, driving a car requires a lot less cognitive effort now than it did when I was 16 and working on my learner's permit.
I guess the capability to multitask might depend on the nature of the tasks.
It certainly does depend on the nature of the tasks. In some studies, researchers concluded that the inability to multitask depends on whether the tasks being performed require the same type of mental activity. I don't remember specifically what led to that claim. Maybe the topic is a good candidate for a post or series.
With exoskeletons, it is the same as a person who does not need glasses, and starts using magnifying glasses, he will see a little better, but it will damage his eyesight.
Maybe you're right. My guess is that it might be more like a bicycle, though. It takes a lot of cognitive effort when you're learning to use it, but less after you learn the feel of it.
The brain performs a harmonious function with the organs of the body. Something additional disturbs the proper process. That is my humble opinion.Thank you for your contribution. Greetings.