Validation of an ergonomic assessment method using Kinect data in real workplace conditions.
Evaluating potential musculoskeletal disorders risks in real workstations is challenging as the environment is cluttered, which makes it difficult to accurately assess workers' postures. Being marker-free and calibration-free, Microsoft Kinect is a promising device although it may be sensitive to occlusions. We propose and evaluate a RULA ergonomic assessment in real work conditions using recently published occlusion-resistant Kinect skeleton data correction. First, we compared postures estimated with this method to ground-truth data, in standardized laboratory conditions. Second, we compared RULA scores to those provided by two professional experts, in a non-laboratory cluttered workplace condition. The results show that the corrected Kinect data can provide more accurate RULA grand scores, even under sub-optimal conditions induced by the workplace environment. This study opens new perspectives in musculoskeletal risk assessment as it provides the ergonomists with 30 Hz continuous information that could be analyzed offline and in a real-time framework.
FAURECIA Automotive Seating, ZI de Brières les Scellés, B.P. 89 91152, Etampes, France; M2S Lab., University Rennes 2, ENS Rennes, Avenue Robert Schuman, 35170, Bruz, France. Electronic address: pierre.plantard88@gmail.com.
Pierre
P
Plantard
Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Hubert P H
HPH
Shum
FAURECIA Automotive Seating, ZI de Brières les Scellés, B.P. 89 91152, Etampes, France.
Anne-Sophie
AS
Le Pierres
M2S Lab., University Rennes 2, ENS Rennes, Avenue Robert Schuman, 35170, Bruz, France; Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Inria, MimeTIC Team, Campus Universitaire de Beaulieu, 35042, Rennes, France.
Franck
F
Multon
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D034941:Upper Extremity; D014937:Work / Q000502:physiology*; D017132:Workplace
Kinect; RULA; Real work condition