Lim Sol, D'Souza Clive
Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Center for Ergonomics, Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Int J Ind Ergon. 2020 Mar;76:102937.
Accurate, reliable, and cost-effective quantification of real-time biomechanical exposures in occupational settings remains an enduring pursuit in ergonomics. Miniaturized, wireless, body-worn inertial sensors offer opportunities to directly measure vast and personalized kinematics data in both laboratory and applied settings. This review investigated the contemporary and emerging uses of wearable inertial sensing technology in occupational ergonomics research related to biomechanical exposure assessment in physical work. A review and narrative synthesis of 78 peer-reviewed studies was conducted. A conceptual framework was used for scoping and synthesizing the reviewed scientific literature. Review findings help to contextualize contributions of this emerging technology to the broader goals of reducing work-relevant musculoskeletal trauma disorders. The review made evident that despite the growing interest in wearable inertial sensing technologies for ergonomics research, its use in applied settings still lags. The review also identified differences in sensor attachment locations and methods and measures for calibration and validation, and inconsistent criteria for reporting and assessing biomechanical exposures even across studies with similar objectives. Emerging applications include combining inertial sensing with predictive modeling for obtaining cumulative exposure data, and providing real-time feedback about biomechanical work demands. The manuscript concludes with research directions for enabling inertial sensing technologies as a tool for online biomechanical exposure assessment and feedback, which has particular appeal in non-repetitive work settings.
在职业环境中准确、可靠且经济高效地量化实时生物力学暴露，一直是人体工程学领域长久以来的追求。小型化、无线、可穿戴的惯性传感器为在实验室和实际应用场景中直接测量大量个性化运动学数据提供了机会。本综述研究了可穿戴惯性传感技术在与体力工作中的生物力学暴露评估相关的职业人体工程学研究中的当代及新兴用途。对78项同行评审研究进行了综述和叙述性综合分析。使用了一个概念框架来界定范围并综合所审查的科学文献。综述结果有助于将这项新兴技术对减少与工作相关的肌肉骨骼创伤性疾病这一更广泛目标的贡献置于具体情境中。该综述表明，尽管人们对可穿戴惯性传感技术在人体工程学研究中的兴趣日益浓厚，但其在实际应用中的使用仍然滞后。该综述还指出了传感器附着位置、校准和验证方法及测量方面的差异，以及即使在目标相似的研究中，报告和评估生物力学暴露的标准也不一致。新兴应用包括将惯性传感与预测模型相结合以获取累积暴露数据，以及提供有关生物力学工作需求的实时反馈。本文最后提出了一些研究方向，以使惯性传感技术成为在线生物力学暴露评估和反馈的工具，这在非重复性工作环境中具有特别的吸引力。
