Table 3.

Exploratory factor analysis

Exoskeleton design features	Factor 1 (Technology characteristics)	Factor 2 (Functional activities)
Purchase cost	0.778
Repair and maintenance cost	0.758
Comfort	0.701	-0.128
Ease of putting on and taking off the device	0.694
Minimizes risk of falling	0.659	-0.107
Amount of energy needed for use	0.659
Length of training to become proficient	0.509
Overall appearance	0.375	-0.107
Ability to climb stairs	-0.212	-0.855
Ability to carry out daily tasks while standing		-0.757
Ability to use to get in and out of a car		-0.731
Ability to walk on uneven surfaces	0.110	-0.672
Walking speed		-0.573
Ability to toilet	0.142	-0.495
Portability of the device	0.395	-0.471
Range of battery life	0.310	-0.459
Ability to use without arm crutches	0.171	-0.419

Associations (i.e. loadings) of individual design features and the two factors (i.e. categories) are revealed through exploratory factor analysis. Higher numbers indicate a stronger association between the design feature (variable) and the factor, where > .71 are considered excellent, >.63 are considered very good, >.55 are considered good, and > .45 are considered fair. Values between -0.100 and 0.100 have been excluded from this table. These loadings allow the design features to be grouped into two major categories, where Factor 1 represents Technology Characteristics and Factor 2 represents Functional Activities. Italicized loading values indicate the factor which the design feature was grouped into.