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Ergonomics in assistive technology design: scoping review
Larissa Leite Umbelino1, Daniele Masterson Tavares Pereira Ferreira2, Carolina Maria do Carmo Alonso3
1Production Engineering Program at COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology
|May 16, 2026
Summary
Assistive technology (AT) design often lacks user input and context, weakening ergonomics and usability. Improving user involvement and context-sensitive approaches can enhance AT effectiveness and reduce abandonment.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Engineering
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Product Design
Background:
- Assistive technology (AT) is crucial for enhancing independence and quality of life.
- Effective AT design requires alignment with user activities, contexts, and usage patterns.
- Ergonomic and usability principles are key to successful AT development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map and synthesize the integration of ergonomic and usability principles in assistive technology design.
- To identify how user activities, contexts, and usage patterns are considered in AT development.
- To review the current state of ergonomic and usability integration in assistive technology design.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology.
- PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used for reporting.
- Searches identified 1,540 records, with 95 studies included after screening.
Main Results:
- Design requirements were primarily based on secondary literature, with limited early user involvement.
- User participation was more common in testing and validation phases.
- Ergonomic and usability principles were referenced but rarely operationalized with explicit frameworks or contextual analysis.
Conclusions:
- Ergonomics and usability are weakly integrated into AT design, especially concerning user participation and context.
- Strengthening user involvement and adopting activity-centered, context-sensitive approaches are recommended.
- Explicitly incorporating ergonomic and usability frameworks can improve AT alignment with real-world use and decrease abandonment.
