Reasoned technology: the case of exoskeleton deployment

Some RATP operators perform strenuous tasks, such as maintaining the mechanical devices that open and close the doors of tram and regional express train carriages, which requires them to work with their arms raised. When there are no possible solutions for adapting the workstation, the innovation department can take charge of experimenting with exoskeletons. Although these are not cutting-edge technologies (the devices used are ‘passive’, i.e. they have no motors, batteries, etc.), it is crucial to proceed rigorously during the proof of concept, evaluating both the biomechanical and psychological effects of the exoskeleton, its impact on performance, its safety for health and its contribution to operator safety, and finally its perception by colleagues. Ergonomists from the innovation department carry out biomechanical measurement campaigns and gather operators' perceptions, both in the initial situation and after a few months of using the exoskeletons. The aim is not to promote a technology, but to respond to an unresolved problem using ‘reasoned technology’.