A Taxonomy of Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Wearable Robots: An Expert Perspective

Alexandra Kapeller, Heike Felzmann, Eduard Fosch-Villaronga, Ann Marie Hughes

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer)Articlepeer-review

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Wearable robots and exoskeletons are relatively new technologies designed for assisting and augmenting human motor functions. Due to their different possible design applications and their intimate connection to the human body, they come with specific ethical, legal, and social issues (ELS), which have not been much explored in the recent ELS literature. This paper draws on expert consultations and a literature review to provide a taxonomy of the most important ethical, legal, and social issues of wearable robots. These issues are categorized in (1) wearable robots and the self, (2) wearable robots and the other, and (3) wearable robots in society.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3229-3247
Number of pages19
JournalScience and Engineering Ethics
Volume26
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ELSI
  • Ethical, legal, and societal (ELS) aspects
  • Exoskeleton
  • Taxonomy
  • Wearable robots

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