Abstract
Comfort and ergonomics are essential for workers' safety and health. Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are
typically the result of prolonged exposure to non-ergonomic
postures in the workplace. Regular assessment of comfort and ergonomics in the work environment is therefore necessary to avoid this. There are different techniques available to make such
assessments, including subjective self-reports and observational scoring models based on joint angles. However, it is not clear how objective and accurate these methods are. An objective method for real-time assessment of comfort and ergonomics would allow for improved ergonomics, particularly in human-robot interaction, in clinical and industrial environments alike. This paper is an initial study on this possibility, by comparing different established comfort assessment techniques with objective tools such as electromyography and orientation sensors. N=10 participants are tested and results discussed.
typically the result of prolonged exposure to non-ergonomic
postures in the workplace. Regular assessment of comfort and ergonomics in the work environment is therefore necessary to avoid this. There are different techniques available to make such
assessments, including subjective self-reports and observational scoring models based on joint angles. However, it is not clear how objective and accurate these methods are. An objective method for real-time assessment of comfort and ergonomics would allow for improved ergonomics, particularly in human-robot interaction, in clinical and industrial environments alike. This paper is an initial study on this possibility, by comparing different established comfort assessment techniques with objective tools such as electromyography and orientation sensors. N=10 participants are tested and results discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Joint Workshop on New Technologies for Computer/Robot Assisted Surgery (CRAS) |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 25 Jul 2016 |