[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77835-77836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21837]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Analysis of Exoskeleton-Use for Enhancing Human Performance 
Data Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before November 25, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, NIST by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0083 in the 
subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Ann Marie Virts, Project Leader, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899, [email protected], 301-975-5068.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Exoskeletons--sometimes called wearable robots--are a very rapidly 
expanding domain with a range of applications and a broad diversity of 
designs. NIST's Engineering Laboratory will be developing methods to 
evaluate performance of exoskeletons in two key areas (1) The fit and 
motion of the exoskeleton device with respect to the users' body and 
(2) The impact that using an exoskeleton has on the performance of 
users executing tasks that are representative of activities in 
industrial settings and emergency response applications. The results of 
these experiments will inform future test method development at NIST, 
other organizations, and under the purview of the American Society for 
Testing Materials (ASTM) Committee F48 on Exoskeletons and Exosuits.
    For the first research topic, NIST will be measuring the difference 
in performance of a person wearing an exoskeleton versus the person's 
baseline without the exoskeleton while positioning loads and tools. The 
NIST Position and Load Test Apparatus for Exoskeletons (PoLoTAE), which 
presents abstractions of industrial task challenges, will be used in 
this research. NIST researchers will also develop standard test methods 
to represent real world applications for emergency responders such as 
mobility tasks, climbing over, around and thru obstacles.
    For the second research topic, NIST will evaluate a method for 
measuring the alignment of an exoskeleton to human joint (knee) and any 
relative movement between the exoskeleton and user. Measurement methods 
prototyped by NIST for evaluating exoskeleton on mannequin position and 
motion will be applied to human subjects to verify the usefulness of 
optical tracking system and designed artifacts worn by users as 
measurement methods.
    Participants will be chosen from volunteers within NIST and adult 
NIST visitors to participate in the study. Gender and size diversity 
will be sought in the population of participants. No personally 
identifiable information (PII) will be recorded unless subject consent 
for PII disclosure is received. NIST intends to publish information on 
the analysis and results.

II. Method of Collection

    Participants will give informed consent prior to participating in 
the research. Information may be collected via a paper background 
questionnaire which may include disclosure of health information which 
may be relevant for safety and research reasons. Data will be collected 
using a combination of heart rate monitor, video and still cameras to 
collect time and subject activity to

[[Page 77836]]

correlate heart rate with activity and an optical tracking system which 
detects markers worn by the subject. Participants will be asked to 
complete a paper survey once data is collected for the research.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0083.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, extension of a current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 240.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 40 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-21837 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
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