ASTM F3519-21

Standard Guide for Establishing a Reporting Structure for Exoskeleton Analysis

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This guide describes a template of written considerations that should be provided by the manufacturer to the purchaser related to the documenting of exoskeleton analysis. Adherence to this guide allows analysis results of varied exoskeleton manufacturers to be compared by a purchaser with respect to their end user needs.  
3.2 Not every element of this guide may be applicable to all exoskeleton components or configurations. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to determine which portions of this guide are applicable to their exoskeletons for analysis reporting.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide provides a structure for exoskeleton manufacturers to document their analysis. Furthermore, this guide should be used in conjunction with Practice F3474, Guide F3518, Standard Guide for The Application of Ergonomics to Prevent Injury During Exoskeleton Use2 and other future documents.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 14-Jun-2021
• ICS: 11.180.10 - Aids and adaptation for moving
• ICS: 25.040.30 - Industrial robots. Manipulators
• Technical Committee: F48 - Exoskeletons and Exosuits
• Drafting Committee: F48.02 - Human Factors and Ergonomics

Relations

• Refers: ASTM F3200-23 - Standard Terminology for Robotics, Automation, and Autonomous Systems
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2023
• Refers: ASTM F3200-19 - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 15-Nov-2019
• Refers: ASTM F3200-18a - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2018
• Refers: ASTM F3200-18 - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2018
• Refers: ASTM F3200-17b - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 15-Aug-2017
• Refers: ASTM F3200-17a - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2017
• Refers: ASTM F3200-17 - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 15-May-2017
• Refers: ASTM F3200-16 - Standard Terminology for Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles
• Effective Date: 15-Oct-2016

Overview

ASTM F3519-21: Standard Guide for Establishing a Reporting Structure for Exoskeleton Analysis provides exoskeleton manufacturers with a standardized approach to document analysis. This guide assists in creating comprehensive, consistent reporting templates, making it easier for purchasers to compare analysis results from different exoskeleton products in relation to their specific end-user needs. Developed by ASTM International, this guide leverages internationally recognized principles to ensure transparency, comparability, and reproducibility in exoskeleton performance assessments across industrial, military, medical, and recreational applications.

Key Topics

• Reporting Structure: The standard outlines a clear format for exoskeleton analysis reports, with required sections including scope, significance, procedure, interpretation of results, and conclusions. This structured approach ensures that critical aspects are communicated effectively.

• Scope and Applicability: The guide emphasizes the importance of stating the purpose, limitations, and applicable units in each report. It encourages manufacturers to tailor the reporting elements to fit the specific components or configurations of the exoskeleton under analysis.

• Significance and Use: Reports should clarify the meaning, practical use, and relevance of the analysis, providing context for end users and purchasers. Manufacturers are advised to highlight limitations and compare results to similar procedures if appropriate.

• Procedural Detail: Manufacturers must present comprehensive procedural documentation, including the design of experiments (treatments, measures, equipment, statistical analysis), participant demographics, and step-by-step methodologies, which support replicability and comparability.

• Result Interpretation: The guide instructs publishers to present clear and supported interpretations of analysis results, ensuring conclusions are backed by data and methodologies disclosed in the report.

• Disclosure of Roles: Information on the analysis requestor and supervisor must be included to allow purchasers to assess potential bias and ensure integrity in results.

• Keyword Identification: Selection of relevant terms and keywords (such as ergonomics, exoskeleton, occupational, industrial, purchaser) enhances report discoverability and retrieval.

Applications

Organizations that design, manufacture, or procure exoskeleton devices-such as those for industrial, first responder, military, medical, or recreational use-will benefit directly from this standard. By adopting ASTM F3519-21, manufacturers can:

• Enhance Validity and Comparability: Ensuring that exoskeleton performance data is consistently recorded and communicated allows purchasers to make informed decisions aligned with user needs.
• Document Experimental Rigor: The standard promotes transparency in methodology, which is essential for research reproducibility and regulatory compliance.
• Support Regulatory and Procurement Requirements: Structured reports can facilitate compliance with occupational safety and health standards, risk management, and procurement policies.
• Facilitate Benchmarking: With standardized analysis reports, organizations can assess and benchmark different exoskeleton solutions for job-specific or user-specific applications.
• Prevent Injury Through Ergonomics: When used alongside related guides (see below), organizations can assess and document the ergonomics of exoskeleton use to minimize injury risk.

Related Standards

ASTM F3519-21 is most effective when used in conjunction with the following standards:

• ASTM F3474 - Practice for Establishing Exoskeleton Functional Ergonomic Parameters and Test Metrics: Provides detailed practices for assessing functional aspects and ergonomic fit.
• ASTM F3518 - Guide for Quantitative Measures for Establishing Exoskeleton Functional Ergonomic Parameters and Test Metrics: Focuses on the use of quantitative measures for analysis.
• Other Relevant ASTM Standards - Including terminology standards and forthcoming guides for ergonomics and injury prevention during exoskeleton use.

Adopting ASTM F3519-21 lays the groundwork for transparent, comparable, and actionable exoskeleton analysis reporting, supporting innovation and safety in the rapidly evolving field of wearable robotic technologies.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: F3519 − 21
Standard Guide for
Establishing a Reporting Structure for Exoskeleton
Analysis
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F3519; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope purchaser related to the documenting of exoskeleton analysis.
Adherence to this guide allows analysis results of varied
1.1 This guide provides a structure for exoskeleton manu-
exoskeleton manufacturers to be compared by a purchaser with
facturers to document their analysis. Furthermore, this guide
respect to their end user needs.
should be used in conjunction with Practice F3474, Guide
F3518, Standard Guide for The Application of Ergonomics to
3.2 Not every element of this guide may be applicable to all
Prevent Injury During Exoskeleton Use and other future
exoskeleton components or configurations. It is the manufac-
documents.
turer’s responsibility to determine which portions of this guide
are applicable to their exoskeletons for analysis reporting.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- 4. Terminology
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
4.1 Definitions:
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
4.1.1 analysis requestor (sometimes called analysis
1.3 This international standard was developed in accor-
sponsor), n—person or organization selecting the analysis and
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
defining the conditions under which they are performed.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
F3200 – 18a
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
4.1.2 analysis supervisor, n—person responsible for setting
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
up the apparatus, instrumentation, directing, and reporting
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
results of the analysis according to the analysis requestor or
2. Referenced Documents
analysis sponsor. F3200 – 18a
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5. Report Structure
F3200 Terminology for DriverlessAutomatic Guided Indus-
trial Vehicles
5.1 The main role of the report structure is to provide the
F3474 Practice for Establishing Exoskeleton Functional Er-
reader with an outline of the report.The report structure should
gonomic Parameters and Test Metrics
generally focus on the motivation and the reason for the report.
F3518 Guide for Quantitative Measures for Establishing
A common structure of a report includes these subsections:
Exoskeleton Functional Ergonomic Parameters and Test
scope,significanceanduse,procedure,interpretationofresults,
Metrics
and conclusion.
5.1.1 Scope—This subsection highlights the motivation of
3. Significance and Use
the report.
3.1 This guide describes a template of written consider-
5.1.2 Significance and Use—This subsection highlights de-
ations that should be provided by the manufacturer to the
tails on why the report is being written.
5.1.3 Procedure—This subsection provides an overview of
the tested conditions, test procedures, and equipment and
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F48 on Exoskeletons
statistical analysis tools used.
and Exosuits and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F48.02 on Human
Factors and Ergonomics.
5.1.4 Interpretation of Results—The main findings of the
Current edition approved June 15, 2021. Published July 2021. DOI: 10.1520/
report are reported in this subsection. In this subsection, results
F3519-21.
Standard under development. are interpreted and inferences are drawn.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
5.1.5 Conclusion—This subsection provides the reader with
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
the main conclusions drawn from the report according to the
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. interpretation of the findings.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F3519 − 21
6. Scope Parameters 9.3 Design—In this subsection, the treatments and measures
of the experiment are described.
6.1 Include in this section information relating to the pur-
9.3.1 Treatment—A treatment is a combination of indepen-
pose of the report and to what it applies. Clearly state any
dent variable levels.An independent variable is a variable with
limitations of the report.
one or more levels (variable values) whose effect is to be tested
6.2 Include in this section the system of units to be used in
in an experiment.
referee decisions.
9.3.2 Measures—A measure can also be called a dependent
variable. A dependent variable is a variable that the effects of
7. Referenced Documents
different treatments on its value are to be tested. For the effects
7.1 In this section, any standards or adjuncts cited in the
of different treatments on a dependent variable to be evaluated,
report are listed. a dependent variable has to be measurable.
9.3.3 Equipment—This subsection describes all the test
8. Significance and Use Parameters
equipment used in the experiment and their associated settings.
Choosing particular equipment or considering a specific equip-
8.1 Introduction—Include in this section information that
ment setting should be justified. Information about the
explains the relevance and meaning of the report. State the
manufacturer, model, and capacity of the test equipment are
practical uses for the report and how it is typically employed.
worth mentioning for replication purposes.
Avoid repetition of information included in the scope.
9.3.4 Procedure—This subsection describes the flow of the
8.1.1 Include separately any appropr
...