A Wearable Sensor System for Physical Ergonomics Interventions Using Haptic Feedback

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a major concern globally affecting societies, companies, and individuals. To address this, a new sensor-based system is presented: the Smart Workwear System, aimed at facilitating preventive measures by supporting risk assessments, work design, and work technique training. The system has a module-based platform that enables flexibility of sensor-type utilization, depending on the specific application. A module of the Smart Workwear System that utilizes haptic feedback for work technique training is further presented and evaluated in simulated mail sorting on sixteen novice participants for its potential to reduce adverse arm movements and postures in repetitive manual handling. Upper-arm postures were recorded, using an inertial measurement unit (IMU), perceived pain/discomfort with the Borg CR10-scale, and user experience with a semi-structured interview. This study shows that the use of haptic feedback for work technique training has the potential to significantly reduce the time in adverse upper-arm postures after short periods of training. The haptic feedback was experienced positive and usable by the participants and was effective in supporting learning of how to improve postures and movements. It is concluded that this type of sensorized system, using haptic feedback training, is promising for the future, especially when organizations are introducing newly employed staff, when teaching ergonomics to employees in physically demanding jobs, and when performing ergonomics interventions.

[1]  D. Chaffin,et al.  A proposed standard procedure for static muscle strength testing. , 1974, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[2]  Emel Demircan,et al.  A pilot study on locomotion training via biomechanical models and a wearable haptic feedback system , 2020, ROBOMECH Journal.

[3]  Rocio Poveda-Bautista,et al.  Influences on the use of observational methods by practitioners when identifying risk factors in physical work , 2015, Ergonomics.

[4]  Carl Lind,et al.  Shifting to proactive risk management : Risk communication using the RAMP tool , 2016 .

[5]  Chaoyi Wang,et al.  Overcoming the guidance effect in motor skill learning: feedback all the time can be beneficial , 2012, Experimental Brain Research.

[6]  Leonard O'Sullivan,et al.  The effect of manual handling training on achieving training transfer, employee's behaviour change and subsequent reduction of work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review , 2014, Ergonomics.

[7]  Chak Fu Lam,et al.  The impact of feedback frequency on learning and task performance: Challenging the ‘‘more is better’’ assumption , 2011 .

[8]  B. Jonsson,et al.  Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. , 1987, Applied ergonomics.

[9]  Carl Mikael Lind,et al.  The Need for Practical and Reliable Risk Assessment Methods for Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders , 2019, Transforming Ergonomics with Personalized Health and Intelligent Workplaces.

[10]  Vincent M Ciriello,et al.  Psychophysically determined forces of dynamic pushing for female industrial workers: Comparison of two apparatuses. , 2010, Applied ergonomics.

[11]  Hua Li,et al.  Wearables, Biomechanical Feedback, and Human Motor-Skills’ Learning & Optimization , 2019, Applied Sciences.

[12]  Anton Umek,et al.  SMART EQUIPMENT DESIGN CHALLENGES FOR REAL TIME FEEDBACK SUPPORT IN SPORT , 2018, Facta Universitatis, Series: Mechanical Engineering.

[13]  Ying Zheng,et al.  A vibrotactile feedback approach to posture guidance , 2010, 2010 IEEE Haptics Symposium.

[14]  Ute Bültmann,et al.  Implementing sensor technology applications for workplace health promotion: a needs assessment among workers with physically demanding work , 2019, BMC Public Health.

[15]  Ke Lu,et al.  P-Ergonomics Platform: Toward Precise, Pervasive, and Personalized Ergonomics using Wearable Sensors and Edge Computing , 2019, Sensors.

[16]  Svend Erik Mathiassen,et al.  Cost-efficient assessment of biomechanical exposure in occupational groups, exemplified by posture observation and inclinometry. , 2014, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[17]  Zhenyu James Kong,et al.  Using a smart textile system for classifying occupational manual material handling tasks: evidence from lab-based simulations , 2019, Ergonomics.

[18]  Jose Antonio Diego-Mas,et al.  Using Kinect™ sensor in observational methods for assessing postures at work. , 2014, Applied ergonomics.

[19]  E. Tompa,et al.  The value of occupational safety and health and the societal costs of work-related injuries and diseases , 2019 .

[20]  Maury A. Nussbaum,et al.  Classifying Diverse Physical Activities Using “Smart Garments” , 2019, Sensors.

[21]  Carlo Alberto Avizzano,et al.  A novel wearable system for the online assessment of risk for biomechanical load in repetitive efforts , 2016 .

[22]  Emiliano Schena,et al.  A Multi-Parametric Wearable System to Monitor Neck Movements and Respiratory Frequency of Computer Workers , 2020, Sensors.

[23]  Jean-Claude Sagot,et al.  Physical risk factors identification based on body sensor network combined to videotaping. , 2017, Applied ergonomics.

[24]  Tiwana Varrecchia,et al.  Wearable Monitoring Devices for Biomechanical Risk Assessment at Work: Current Status and Future Challenges—A Systematic Review , 2018, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[25]  E Viikari-Juntura,et al.  Manual material handling advice and assistive devices for preventing and treating back pain in workers. , 2007, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[26]  Ettore Pennestrì,et al.  Comparison between low-cost marker-less and high-end marker-based motion capture systems for the computer-aided assessment of working ergonomics , 2016, Ergonomics.

[27]  Marko Kos,et al.  Tennis Stroke Consistency Analysis Using Miniature Wearable IMU , 2018, 2018 25th International Conference on Systems, Signals and Image Processing (IWSSIP).

[28]  Christian Larue,et al.  Effect of local magnetic field disturbances on inertial measurement units accuracy. , 2017, Applied ergonomics.

[29]  Michael J Carter,et al.  Self-controlled KR schedules: does repetition order matter? , 2013, Human movement science.

[30]  S. Milosavljevic,et al.  Extrinsic feedback and management of low back pain: A critical review of the literature. , 2011, Manual therapy.

[31]  Michael W. R. Holmes,et al.  Posture Coaching and Feedback during Patient Handling in a Student Nurse Population , 2018 .

[32]  Emiliano Schena,et al.  Wearable systems for shoulder kinematics assessment: a systematic review , 2019, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

[33]  Ann-Christine Falck,et al.  What are the obstacles and needs of proactive ergonomics measures at early product development stages? – An interview study in five Swedish companies , 2012 .

[34]  F. Fathallah,et al.  The effect of feedback training on lumbosacral compression during simulated occupational lifting , 2004, Ergonomics.

[35]  E. Heath.  Borg's Perceived Exertion and Pain Scales , 1998 .

[36]  Gabriele Bleser,et al.  Innovative system for real-time ergonomic feedback in industrial manufacturing. , 2013, Applied ergonomics.

[37]  Christian Larue,et al.  Accuracy and repeatability of single-pose calibration of inertial measurement units for whole-body motion analysis. , 2017, Gait & posture.

[38]  Laura Punnett,et al.  Musculoskeletal disorders and occupational exposures: How should we judge the evidence concerning the causal association? , 2014, Scandinavian journal of public health.

[39]  Stefano Paolucci,et al.  Wearable inertial sensors for human movement analysis , 2016, Expert review of medical devices.

[40]  Dan Högberg,et al.  Prevention of Work: Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Using Smart Workwear - The Smart Workwear Consortium , 2018, IHSED.

[41]  W. Neumann,et al.  Examining the fatigue-quality relationship in manufacturing. , 2019, Applied ergonomics.

[42]  Andreas Holtermann,et al.  Validity of the Acti4 software using ActiGraph GT3X+accelerometer for recording of arm and upper body inclination in simulated work tasks , 2014, Ergonomics.

[43]  J. Sluiter,et al.  Criteria document for evaluating the work-relatedness of upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. , 2001, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[44]  Fernando Seoane,et al.  Towards Smart Work Clothing for Automatic Risk Assessment of Physical Workload , 2018, IEEE Access.

[45]  Anette Karltun Erlandsson.  En utredning om brevbärarpersonalens arbetsförhållanden och införandet av Bästa Metod , 2002 .

[46]  Alex Burdorf,et al.  Model for the work-relatedness of low-back pain. , 2003, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[47]  Svend Erik Mathiassen,et al.  Systematic evaluation of observational methods assessing biomechanical exposures at work. , 2010, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[48]  Tom Mayfield,et al.  Bodyspace: Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work (3rd ed.) by Stephen Pheasant & Christine M. Haslegrave 2005, 332 pages, $69.95 Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press ISBN 0-415-28520-8 , 2007 .

[49]  Katherine J. Kuchenbecker,et al.  Effects of Vibrotactile Feedback on Human Learning of Arm Motions , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

[50]  Alexandre Campeau-Lecours,et al.  Validity and Reliability of Wearable Sensors for Joint Angle Estimation: A Systematic Review , 2019, Sensors.

[51]  P. Baker,et al.  An exploration of warehouse automation implementations: cost, service and flexibility issues , 2007 .

[52]  Daniel Tik-Pui Fong,et al.  The Use of Wearable Inertial Motion Sensors in Human Lower Limb Biomechanics Studies: A Systematic Review , 2010, Sensors.

[53]  Malte Reißig,et al.  Industry 4.0: How it is defined from a sociotechnical perspective and how much sustainability it includes – A literature review , 2020 .

[54]  Gianpaolo Francesco Trotta,et al.  Real time RULA assessment using Kinect v2 sensor. , 2017, Applied ergonomics.

[55]  Carl Mikael Lind,et al.  Factors influencing ergonomists’ use of observation-based risk-assessment tools , 2019, Work.

[56]  Jochen Teizer,et al.  Real-time construction worker posture analysis for ergonomics training , 2012, Adv. Eng. Informatics.

[57]  R. Riener,et al.  Augmented visual, auditory, haptic, and multimodal feedback in motor learning: A review , 2012, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

[58]  Ann-Christine Falck,et al.  Proactive assessment of basic complexity in manual assembly: development of a tool to predict and control operator-induced quality errors , 2017, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[59]  O Karhu,et al.  Correcting working postures in industry: A practical method for analysis. , 1977, Applied ergonomics.

[60]  L McAtamney,et al.  RULA: a survey method for the investigation of work-related upper limb disorders. , 1993, Applied ergonomics.

[61]  Ann-Christine Falck,et al.  The impact of poor assembly ergonomics on product quality: A cost–benefit analysis in car manufacturing , 2010 .

[62]  Pascal Madeleine,et al.  Effects of electromyographic and mechanomyographic biofeedback on upper trapezius muscle activity during standardized computer work , 2006, Ergonomics.

[63]  Alex Burdorf,et al.  Associations between work-related factors and specific disorders of the shoulder--a systematic review of the literature. , 2010, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[64]  Jörgen Eklund,et al.  The RAMP package for MSD risk management in manual handling - A freely accessible tool, with website and training courses. , 2020, Applied ergonomics.

[65]  Anna Ivarsson,et al.  The relationship between physical workload and quality within line-based assembly , 2016, Ergonomics.

[66]  Thomas J Armstrong,et al.  Short term and long term effects of enhanced auditory feedback on typing force, EMG, and comfort while typing. , 2002, Applied ergonomics.

[67]  J Eklund,et al.  Ergonomics, quality and continuous improvement--conceptual and empirical relationships in an industrial context. , 1997, Ergonomics.

[68]  Mikael Forsman,et al.  Development and evaluation of RAMP II - a practitioner’s tool for assessing musculoskeletal disorder risk factors in industrial manual handling , 2019, Ergonomics.

[69]  Iman Dianat,et al.  Effect of a posture correction-based intervention on musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue among control room operators. , 2019, Applied ergonomics.

[70]  Gino Marchet,et al.  Investigating order picking system adoption: a case-study-based approach , 2015 .

[71]  Mark R Cullen,et al.  Effect of systematic ergonomic hazard identification and control implementation on musculoskeletal disorder and injury risk. , 2014, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[72]  Svend Erik Mathiassen,et al.  Is what you see what you get? Standard inclinometry of set upper arm elevation angles. , 2015, Applied ergonomics.

[73]  Mikael Forsman,et al.  Inter- and intra-rater reliability of the OCRA checklist method in video-recorded manual work tasks. , 2020, Applied ergonomics.

[74]  Daria Battini,et al.  Innovative real-time system to integrate ergonomic evaluations into warehouse design and management , 2014, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[75]  Branka Djurović,et al.  The world day for safety and health at work. , 2013, Vojnosanitetski pregled.

[76]  S E Mathiassen,et al.  Precision of measurements of physical workload during standardised manual handling. Part II: Inclinometry of head, upper back, neck and upper arms. , 2006, Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology.

[77]  S. Clemes,et al.  What constitutes effective manual handling training? A systematic review. , 2010, Occupational medicine.

[78]  K. Yau,et al.  Effectiveness of a Participatory Workplace Risk Assessment Team in Reducing the Risk and Severity of Musculoskeletal Injury , 2002 .

[79]  M.F. Golnaraghi,et al.  A quaternion-based orientation estimation algorithm using an inertial measurement unit , 2004, PLANS 2004. Position Location and Navigation Symposium (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37556).

[80]  Ann-Christine Falck,et al.  The impact of poor assembly ergonomics on product quality: A cost-benefit analysis in car manufacturing: Poor Assembly Ergonomics and Product Quality , 2010 .

[81]  Jörgen Eklund,et al.  Reducing postural load in order picking through a smart workwear system using real-time vibrotactile feedback. , 2020, Applied ergonomics.

[82]  A. Garg,et al.  The Strain Index: a proposed method to analyze jobs for risk of distal upper extremity disorders. , 1995, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[83]  A Garg,et al.  Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks. , 1993, Ergonomics.

[84]  Patrick G Dempsey,et al.  Ergonomics assessment methods used by ergonomics professionals. , 2019, Applied ergonomics.