Human Factors & Ergonomics Program

Exoskeleton Use in Construction

Gutierrez N
Moore A
Ojelade A
Barr A
Rempel D
Nussbuam M
Harris-Adamson C
2021

The Impact of Chair Design on Trunk Sway Parameters During Computer-Based Tasks Over a Prolonged Bout of Sitting

Houghton, F.C.
Afterman, M.
Honan, M.
Barr, A.
Harris-Adamson, C.
2022

Prolonged sedentary behavior has increased due to computer use for work and leisure activities. Prolonged bouts of sitting have been associated with health risks such as low back pain. Prior studies have suggested that chair design characteristics, such as the presence of arm or back rests, are associated with sitting posture, movement patterns, and low back pain. The purpose of this within-subjects study was to examine the effects of armrest adjustments and tilt mechanisms on user-chair interfacial pressure variables and micromotion while performing computer tasks. Preliminary...

Virtual Reality applied to Ergonomics

Freire Herrera J
2022

This study examines user perceptions and experiences with a digital platform designed to provide insights into ergonomic aspects within work environments. A perception survey was conducted among 43 participants, encompassing diverse demographics. The findings indicate that most participants were from Chile (97.7%), with 54% falling within the 18 to 24 age group and 30% between 25 to 34. Educational backgrounds were diverse, with 79% pursuing undergraduate studies and 19% engaged in postgraduate programs. Engineering accounted for 82% of respondents' fields of study. The survey...

The impact of computer mice weight on muscle activity, performance, and user preferences while gaming

Yan Y
Joshi K
Barr A
Harris Adamson C
2022

Extended computer mouse usage may lead to health problems including chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders. The weight of the computer mouse is an important feature of mouse design. However, the impact of mouse weight on gaming has not been explored. This study assessed the influence of mouse weight on muscle activity, performance, and user preference. Twelve participants participated in this study. Participants used six computer mice (40g-140g) to perform a Fitts' test and gaming tasks. Wireless surface electromyography was used to record muscle activity. Fitts’ test was used to...

Using a Binary Classification Approach to Assess the Accuracy of Hand Posture and Force Estimation with Machine Learning Models

Wang M
C Zhao
Carisa Harris Adamson
Alan Barr
Suihuai Yu
Jay Kapellusch
2021
Recent studies have successfully reported the accuracy of using artificial neural networks to predict grip force in controlled settings. However, only relying on accuracy to evaluate the machine learning models may lead to overoptimistic results, especially on imbalanced datasets. The Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) showed an advantage in capturing all the data characteristics in the confusion matrix. Therefore, a binary classification approach and the MCC value were introduced to assess the performance of previously proposed machine learning models. Our results show that the overall...

The relationship between movement behavior, musculoskeletal discomfort, and cardiometabolic measures among sedentary office workers

Nguyen Athena
Federico Arippa
Carisa Harris Adamson
2021

Background: Sedentary behavior is associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and especially prevalent in office workers. Objective: This cross-sectional analysis examined postures and activities of office workers to determine whether there were associations between posture/activity levels, MSD, and cardiometabolic measures. Methods: Participants completed baseline questionnaires, wore an inertial measuring unit, blood pressure cuff, and heart rate monitor to quantify posture, physical activity, and cardiometabolic measures. The relationships among posture/activity, MSD, and...