+Policy Fellow Research Highlight: Suqin Ge

Dr. Sue Ge

Professor of Economics and the Director of the Center for Future Work Places and Practices (CFWPP).

+Policy Fellows Project: Whole-body Exoskeletons for Advanced Vocational Enhancement (WEAVE)

+Policy Network Director Isabel Bradburn, and ISCE Communications Specialist Becca Halm sat down with Dr. Ge to talk about her Fellows research. Dr. Ge was part of the inaugural 2018-2019 +Policy Fellow cohort.

Tell us a bit about your Fellows project.

I served as a co-principal investigator for an NSF-funded convergence grant under the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF), with principal investigator Divya Srinivasan. That interdisciplinary project involved conducting fundamental research to develop augmented exoskeletons that improve human performance in industrial and other high-risk work environments. The project also examined the potential impacts of exoskeleton technology on the socioecological landscape of jobs and workers. If implemented, the exoskeleton technology has the potential to enhance worker productivity and lower health risks, all while preserving human skills. This exoskeleton technology could also allow people with varying physical abilities to enter and stay within physically demanding work environments, increasing job accessibility.

The team developed a control interface and an intelligent cognitive assistant to make exoskeleton technology natural and intuitive. These features minimized the user learning time and the system’s adaptation to different environments. We then conducted a study on 24 individuals of diverse ages, 13 male and 11 female, who completed physical tasks such as picking up heavy objects while wearing a fitted partial exoskeleton. Throughout the study, we monitored how using the exoskeletons lessened the participants' physical stress levels. Once the observations were complete, we surveyed each participant to gauge ways they liked or disliked the exoskeleton, if they noticed a change in their physical capabilities while using the device, and if they were open to integrating the technology into their work routines.

The +Policy Fellowship allowed me to add a policy dimension to the core study and expand my research focuses beyond exoskeletons and how emerging technologies affect labor patterns and economic outcomes.

What most excited you about the work?

I am particularly interested in how technology can improve workplace infrastructure, possibly leveling out physical work performance differences due to gender and age, and the economic impact of emerging augmented technologies. This research project excited me because it seemed all-encompassing and allowed me to gauge the impact this emerging technology could have on workers of various ages and physical abilities and how it could benefit the workforce.

How did the fellowship help advance your work?

The fellowship helped the rest of the team and me get on the map. Since our WEAVE research gained a lot of attention, it allowed me a course buyout, during which I organized and led a conference on US-Chinese automation patterns, "Insights from US-China trade and technological change," which resulted in an opportunity for me to edit a special issue of the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization in 2020. This journal article focused on how two types of automation - robots and computers - differentially impacted the gender wage gap in the U.S. Click here to read the article.

A bit later, in the fall of 2021, I was approached by Dan Sui, Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer at VT, to present on the topic of the Future of Work, which a lot of my research revolves around. Our presentation went over very well, and because of this, Dan created the new Center for Future Work Places and Practices, which I am now the director of. The center officially launched in early 2023, and we approach the future of work places and practices with a human-centric approach.

How do you see your work influencing policies or policy-related research?

My research demonstrates that emerging technologies, such as exoskeletons and robotics, can potentially enhance labor productivity. However, it is crucial to recognize that these technologies may also exacerbate disparities among individuals with different characteristics. These findings underscore the need for future policies to guide the design and development of new technologies in a more constructive direction, considering their implications for social and economic inequality.

How have you disseminated your Fellow work to non-academic audiences, including policymakers?

I co-authored a background paper, Population Aging, Technological Change, and Productivity: Case Study of People’s Republic of China for the Asian Economic Integration Report 2019/2020 Theme Chapter on “Demographic Change, Productivity, and the Role of Technology in Asia” published by the Asian Development Bank. In the fall of 2021, I taught in the Virginia Tech Honors College’s interdisciplinary exploration course, The Future of Work, sharing what I learned from my fellow work. I was also a keynote speaker at the Summer School on Diversity and Inclusion hosted by Warwick Business School in 2022, where I also discussed my Fellow work and its impacts on my research.

Do you have any advice for faculty considering applying?

Emphasizing policy perspectives is essential for maximizing the impact of our research, creating a bridge between academic insights and real-world solutions. I encourage everyone to consider adding a policy lens to their work.