title: Real time RULA assessment using Kinect v2 sensor.
abstract: The evaluation of the exposure to risk factors in workplaces and their subsequent redesign represent one of the practices to lessen the frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. In this paper we present K2RULA, a semi-automatic RULA evaluation software based on the Microsoft Kinect v2 depth camera, aimed at detecting awkward postures in real time, but also in off-line analysis. We validated our tool with two experiments. In the first one, we compared the K2RULA grand-scores with those obtained with a reference optical motion capture system and we found a statistical perfect match according to the Landis and Koch scale (proportion agreement index = 0.97, k = 0.87). In the second experiment, we evaluated the agreement of the grand-scores returned by the proposed application with those obtained by a RULA expert rater, finding again a statistical perfect match (proportion agreement index = 0.96, k = 0.84), whereas a commercial software based on Kinect v1 sensor showed a lower agreement (proportion agreement index = 0.82, k = 0.34).
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy. Electronic address: vitomodesto.manghisi@poliba.it.
authors.forename: Vito Modesto
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Manghisi
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Emmanuele
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Uva
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Vitoantonio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpaolo Francesco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Trotta
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009038:Motion; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011187:Posture; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software / Q000592:standards*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Ergonomics; Kinect v2; RULA