Article
Robotics
Francesco Lanotte, Zach McKinney, Lorenzo Grazi, Baojun Chen, Simona Crea, Nicola Vitiello
Summary: A novel controller utilizing an adaptive DMP for wearable robotic assistance of various lifting movements was developed. The method accurately predicted trajectory and synchronized robotic assistance to reduce muscular activation, while maintaining lower-limb joint kinematics and shortening extension time.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS
(2021)
Article
Ergonomics
Ana Colim, Pedro Arezes, Paulo Flores, Pedro Ribeiro Rocha Monteiro, Ines Mesquita, Ana Cristina Braga
Summary: This study analyzed and compared muscular activity in subjects with different levels of obesity during vertical handling tasks. The results showed that obesity influences the percentage of maximum contraction, leading to increased muscular effort during VHT. This suggests that obesity is a relevant musculoskeletal risk factor in VHT.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tobias Walter, Norman Stutzig, Tobias Siebert
Summary: This study investigates the effect of an active exoskeleton on back muscle activity when lifting weights. It was found that the use of the active exoskeleton significantly reduces muscle activity and perceived exertion. Therefore, active exoskeletons provide noticeable support when lifting heavy weights, reducing muscle activity and pressure on the lumbar region.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Liisa Raud, Christina Thunberg, Rene J. Huster
Summary: Response inhibition is a core construct of cognitive control. Currently, the most common measure for action stopping and response inhibition is the model-based stop signal reaction time (SSRT). However, partial response electromyography (prEMG) has been introduced as a complementary physiological measure to capture individual stopping latencies. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the psychometric properties of prEMG in a stop signal task and offers practical tips for data collection and analysis.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Hendrik J. Bieleman, Noortje H. M. Rijken, Michiel F. Reneman, Frits G. J. Oosterveld, Remko Soer
Summary: This study analyzed the changes in kinematics and work physiology during progressive lifting in healthy adults. The results showed significant differences in muscle use, heart rate, base of support, and movement pattern with increasing loads, while posture changes were not significant. These findings were objectively quantified using lab technology and aligned with existing observation criteria.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
D. Adam Quirk, Jinwon Chung, Megan Applegate, Jason M. Cherin, Diane M. Dalton, Lou N. Awad, Conor J. Walsh
Summary: This study developed an adaptive impedance controller for a back exosuit to minimize restriction while providing assistance. The research found that the adaptive impedance approach reduced back extensor muscle activity without restricting range of motion, compared to passive elastic assistance.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ke'Vaughn Tarrel Waldon, Angeloh Stout, Kaitlin Manning, Leslie Gray, David George Wilson, Gu Eon Kang
Summary: This study investigates the impact of cognitive dual tasks on lower-limb muscle activities during gait initiation and steady-state gait in healthy young adults. The findings suggest that dual-task conditions lead to decreased muscle activation and increased muscle coactivation, which may contribute to reduced balance capability and balance instability.
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Lisa Mlekus, Guenter W. Maier
Summary: This meta-analysis examined the relationships between job/task rotation and various outcomes, showing significant associations with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, career success, and other factors. The study found that task rotation had stronger relationships with attitudinal outcomes, while job rotation was more closely linked to learning and organizational performance outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carmen D'Anna, Tiwana Varrecchia, Alberto Ranavolo, Alessandro Marco De Nunzio, Deborah Falla, Francesco Draicchio, Silvia Conforto
Summary: This study explores the possibility of using Centre of Pressure (CoP) parameters to assess the risk level and distinguish between individuals with and without low back pain (LBP) during lifting tasks. The results show that CoP parameters have discriminant capacity and electromyography (EMG) parameters exhibit fatigue-related trends. The study is significant for enhancing understanding of postural control strategies during lifting tasks.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Arian Dehmiyani, Hajar Mehdizadeh, Akram Azad, Moslem Cheraghifard, Shamsi Jamali, Mehrdad Davoudi, Seyed Mohammadreza Shokouhyan, Ghorban Taghizadeh
Summary: This study examined the effects of apathy and dual-task condition on postural control of chronic stroke survivors. The results showed that apathy exacerbated postural control impairments in these survivors, but concurrently performing a cognitive task reduced the impairments.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hyun K. Kim, Muhammad Hussain, Jaehyun Park, Jongwon Lee, Jin Won Lee
Summary: This study found that the active back-support exoskeleton can effectively reduce muscle activity and associated risks in the lumbar region during manual material handling tasks, but issues regarding its weight affecting usability were noted.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Souha Khadraoui, Fabrice Bolaers, Olivier Cousinard, Jean Paul Dron
Summary: This experimental study focused on lifting cable fault diagnosis using the instantaneous angular speed (IAS) technique. The results showed that IAS significantly increases after damage to the cables, with speed, load, and defect size being the most influential parameters. A filtering technique was suggested to improve the recognition of imminent failure, and the study evaluated common statistical indicators to confirm the effectiveness of IAS measurement for health monitoring of low speed cables.
JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Zeinab Kazemi, Adel Mazloumi, Navid Arjmand, Ahmadreza Keihani, Zanyar Karimi, Mohamad Sadegh Ghasemi, Ramin Kordi
Summary: The study evaluated the effects of fatigue on spine kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activities during a symmetric lifting task. Results indicated significant impacts of muscular fatigue on posture and lifting behavior, providing further insight into adaptive changes in lifting behavior under fatigue.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hong Zeng, Weijie Yu, Dapeng Chen, Xuhui Hu, Dingguo Zhang, Aiguo Song
Summary: In this paper, a system integrating biomimetic stiffness regulation and wearable finger force feedback is proposed for virtual reality based hand rehabilitation applications. The system allows the virtual hand to imitate the stiffness profile of the user's hand in real time and provides a natural and realistic sensation of external force on the fingertip, enhancing the user's stiffness regulation. The results show that the proposed integrated system enables task-dependent behaviors from rigid to soft for the virtual hand.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Wootaek Lim
Summary: The study found that hamstring muscles show high activity during knee flexion, and there are significant differences in hamstring activity and force in different positions. Bi-articular muscles may have different functional dependencies on the corresponding muscles for each joint.
JOURNAL OF BACK AND MUSCULOSKELETAL REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Colin D. McKinnon, Samantha Ehmke, Aaron M. Kociolek, Jack P. Callaghan, Peter J. Keir
Summary: The study aimed to compare the inter- and intrarater agreement of estimated wrist angles using video and electrogoniometers. The results showed that there was moderate to substantial agreement among participants, but discrepancies between video and electrogoniometers were observed, possibly due to camera angle and parallax effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Colin D. McKinnon, Michael W. Sonne, Peter J. Keir
Summary: This study used a video-based method to assess occupational tasks and found a high level of agreement in joint angle and reach envelope estimates compared to motion capture methods, suggesting that it can improve accuracy and standardization.
Article
Orthopedics
Amanda Farias Zuniga, Amer A. Ghavanini, Gaspar Israelian, Peter J. Keir
Summary: The study found that ultrasound measurements can be used as an effective tool to predict changes in nerve function in CTS patients.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Rehabilitation
Ashley A. Reece, James E. Parkinson, Alan C. Cudlip, Phil Page, Michael W. R. Holmes
Summary: The study found that slouched posture increased muscle activity and range of motion, with no significant differences between no cue and corrected cue conditions. Therefore, avoiding slouched posture may be more important than ensuring correct technique.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Anthony A. Gatti, Peter J. Keir, Michael D. Noseworthy, Marla K. Beauchamp, Monica R. Maly
Summary: This study developed equations to predict saddle height, taking into account rider anthropometrics, bicycle geometry, and user-defined joint kinematics.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SPORT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Giulia A. Albanese, Michael W. R. Holmes, Francesca Marini, Pietro Morasso, Jacopo Zenzeri
Summary: A deep investigation into proprioceptive processes is necessary to understand the relationship between sensory afferent inputs and motor outcomes. In this study, it was found that perception of wrist position on the FE/RUD space is symmetric between hands but not isotropic among movement directions, indicating that human perception may vary depending on the direction of movement.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Elora C. Brenneman Wilson, Anthony A. Gatti, Peter J. Keir, Monica R. Maly
Summary: This study found that individuals with higher physical activity and lower knee joint load showed less change in cartilage after running, indicating potential cartilage conditioning benefits for those individuals.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Denver M. Y. Brown, Amanda Farias Zuniga, Daanish M. Mulla, Divya Mendonca, Peter J. Keir, Steven R. Bray
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the negative impact of mental fatigue on physical performance and explore the potential physiological and psychological mechanisms. Results did not show significant differences in muscle activation and perceptions of exertion between different mental conditions during biceps curls, indicating the need for further research to better understand the effects of mental fatigue on dynamic resistance-based task performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Garrick N. Forman, Michael W. Sonne, Aaron M. Kociolek, David A. Gabriel, Michael W. R. Holmes
Summary: Muscle fatigue can reduce force production ability but does not necessarily impair performance. Different types of motor performance of the distal upper limb are uniquely affected by muscle fatigue. Specificity of fatigue, muscle redundancy, and exploration of various fatigue protocols are important factors in understanding the impact of muscle fatigue on performance outcomes in the distal upper limb.
HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Sport Sciences
Rachel C. Seguin, Alan C. Cudlip, Michael W. R. Holmes
Summary: Elastic resistance training has positive effects on upper limb strength and performance measures for the shoulder, with significant increases in isometric and 1RM strength as well as force and throwing velocities.
Article
Neurosciences
Giulia A. Albanese, Valeria Falzarano, Michael W. R. Holmes, Pietro Morasso, Jacopo Zenzeri
Summary: Fatigue is a temporary condition caused by intense and/or prolonged muscle use, which can affect skilled human performance. This study introduced a novel robotic protocol to quantitatively assess the effects of fatigue on the human wrist joint. The experiment found that fatigue tasks resulted in changes in muscle frequency and decreased isometric flexion force. However, wrist position sense improved after the task, while biomechanical properties did not fully recover.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Amanda Farias Zuniga, Peter J. Keir
Summary: There is evidence supporting the vascular hypothesis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) development, indicating the role of ischemia and edema in driving the condition. This study aimed to investigate the temporal effects of sub-diastolic brachial blood flow occlusion on various parameters related to CTS, including nerve function, tissue mechanics, and stiffness. The results demonstrated the significant impact of partial ischemia on nerve conduction, tendon-connective tissue displacement, and shear strain, highlighting the importance of adequate blood flow for carpal tunnel tissue function.
ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kailynn Mannella, Garrick N. Forman, Maddalena Mugnosso, Jacopo Zenzeri, Michael W. R. Holmes
Summary: This study investigated forearm muscle activity and wrist angular displacement during wrist perturbations, and found an inverse relationship between grip force and angular displacement, a decrease in time to peak displacement with increased grip force, and an increase in muscle activity with higher grip forces, with greater muscle activity in ulnar deviation compared to radial deviation.
Article
Sport Sciences
Colin Dunne, Michael Holmes, Kelly Lockwood
Summary: This study investigated the effect of blade alignment on two specific movements in ice hockey goaltenders. The results suggest that medial blade alignment may improve the speed of the butterfly drop and increase the peak plantar pressure, potentially enhancing the goaltender's ability to make saves.
Article
Orthopedics
Aaron M. Kociolek, Peter J. Keir
Summary: This study used ultrasound technology to measure the relative displacement between the flexor tendon and subsynovial connective tissue during finger movement. The shear-strain index increased with finger flexion angle, but did not change during extension. It also increased with higher repetition frequencies and finger loads, indicating time-dependent effects during finger movement.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Itay Coifman, Rodger Kram, Raziel Riemer
Summary: This study aimed to quantify the metabolic cost of running with additional leg mass. The results showed that for every 1000 g of added mass per leg, gross metabolic power increased by approximately 16% (foot) and 11% (shank) for females, which was slightly greater than the 11% and 8% increases for males, respectively. For thigh loading, metabolic power only increased by 4% per 1000 g in both sexes.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Itay Coifman, Rodger Kram, Raziel Riemer
Summary: The study analyzed the biomechanical response to running with added leg mass, finding that joint moments and powers were dramatically affected, particularly during the swing phase. However, kinematic changes were only moderate. These findings have implications for shoe designs, individuals using added leg mass for running or strength training, and the design of wearable devices.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Wenxiu Yang, Tingshu Chen, Renke He, Richard Goossens, Toon Huysmans
Summary: This study collected autonomic response data (heart rate and skin conductance) from 30 landmarks in the head, neck, and face of 31 participants experiencing pressure discomfort and pain. The results showed that pressure stimulation can change heart rate and skin conductance, with skin conductance being more useful in assessing pressure discomfort and possessing a faster arousal rate. There were gender differences in subjective pressure thresholds and autonomic responses, but no linear correlation between them. This study has significant implications for resolving ergonomic issues associated with head-related products.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Kai Huang, Guozhu Jia, Qun Wang, Yingjie Cai, Zhenyu Zhong, Zeyu Jiao
Summary: In the era of Industry 5.0, human-centered smart manufacturing (HSM) has emphasized the role of humans in collaboration with machines. This study proposes a method that combines deep learning-based 3D pose reconstruction with rapid entire body assessment (REBA) to assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in HSM. The proposed method improves the accuracy of risk assessment by introducing weights between different risk levels, leading to a precision rate of 99.31% in experiments conducted on an automobile production line.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Jan Healey, Sue Hignett, Diane Gyi
Summary: This study explores the delivery of home care in England and examines the barriers that impact worker performance and whether these barriers affect the quality and safety of care. The findings highlight the importance of an Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) systems perspective in understanding and improving home care.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Jule Bessler-Etten, Leendert Schaake, Jaap H. Buurke, Gerdienke B. Prange-Lasonder
Summary: This article investigates the development of discomfort caused by repetitive and prolonged forces exerted through a rigid cuff. The study found that repetitive force application triggers discomfort but generally does not result in pain and there are no significant differences between different repetitive loading patterns. The design and use of exoskeletons should consider comfort thresholds specific to prolonged repetitive loading.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
S. Thuillard, L. Audergon, T. Kotalova, A. Sonderegger, J. Sauer
Summary: This study compared the effects of human-induced and machine-induced social stress on task performance and subjective state. The results showed that social stress did not directly affect performance, affect, or self-esteem, but human-induced social stress impaired perceived justice.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Stephen Dooley, Sunwook Kim, Maury A. Nussbaum, Michael L. Madigan
Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of arm- and back-support exoskeletons on reactive balance after slip-like and trip-like perturbations on a treadmill. The study found that the exoskeletons did not significantly increase the probability of failed recovery after the perturbations, but did make balance recovery more challenging. Reactive balance differed when wearing different types and activation states of exoskeletons.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Eirini Balta, Andreas Psarrakis, Argiro Vatakis
Summary: Research has shown that mental workload modulates time perception, making timing behavior a reliable index of cognitive demand. This study tested the timing behavior of air traffic controllers in a real aviation environment under different levels of cognitive load. Results showed significant overestimation of time intervals during the high-load landing phase and greater overestimation when landing two helicopters compared to one.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Kremer Lisanne, Gehrmann Jonathan, Rohrig Rainer, Breil Bernhard
Summary: This study aims to investigate whether eye movement measures are suitable for measuring mental workload in healthcare settings. The results indicate significant differences in both objective and subjective workload measures across different task levels. Additionally, there are indications of overload and fatigue in pupil data.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
John Kang, Stephanie C. Payne, Farzan Sasangohar, Ranjana K. Mehta
Summary: This exploratory longitudinal field study aimed to examine the changes in subjective, performance-based, and physiological fatigue measures over time across different shift types in offshore environments. The findings revealed that workers' performances on the psychomotor vigilance test deteriorated over time across all shift types. The study also found correlations between different multimodal fatigue measures.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Hayoung Jung, Wonsup Lee, Sujin Moon, Heecheon You
Summary: This study measured 12 palmar dimensions to analyze the impact of wrist posture on hand size changes during power grip. The findings showed that hand dimensions decreased significantly during grip, with wrist posture and finger position also exerting significant effects on hand size.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ido Morag, Avi Parush
Summary: This study indicates that there is a relationship between gender and wayfinding performance, and verbal instructions can influence this relationship. Male participants perform better in terms of accuracy and speed in wayfinding, while females rely more on specific routes. Additionally, applying survey knowledge to females may improve their indoor wayfinding ability.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Junfeng Ma, Yu Wang, Sayali Joshi, Haifeng Wang, Carlton Young, Adam Pervez, Yingge Qu, Shey Washburn
Summary: The U.S. is facing a national nurse shortage, and the application of immersive Virtual Reality technology in nursing education is not fully understood. This study explored the effectiveness and efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality nursing education through a comparative pilot study, and the results showed that the method performed well in terms of effectiveness and efficacy.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
N. Zhang, M. Fard, J. Xu, J. L. Davy, S. R. Robinson
Summary: Driver drowsiness is a significant factor in serious motor vehicle accidents. This study found that specific frequencies of whole-body vibration can induce driver drowsiness and impair attention and driving performance. These findings provide evidence for establishing transportation safety standards.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
