Ergonomics analyses through motion capture in a vehicle cabin by means of Kinect sensor

Ergonomics studies encompass a lot of researches aimed to the evaluation of the discomfort and of the suitability of a tractor cabin at different working conditions. In the present study for driver movements analysis we propose implementation of the Kinect sensor, a low-cost infrared depth camera allowing markerless skeletal tracking, both in standing or seating position. Such sensor allows generation of a stick skeleton mode, extracting and tracking skeletal joint locations (two for each hand, two for the head, four for shoulders and arms, etc.) at a sampling rate of 10 positions per second. The tracking system was developed by means of the Microsoft software development kit (SDK), and allowed tracking of body movements of a tractor driving person for several minutes. In order to test the applicability of the sensor, it was applied for monitoring two different drivers (an expert and a beginner) on two different paths taking advantage of a 81 kW tractor allowing assisted steering. Tests highlights how the sensor can be successfully implemented for quantification of drivers body movements.