ErgoHOWL

Quarter Four 2021

Emerging Technologies: The Evolution of Ergonomics

The field of ergonomics is rapidly changing. Emerging technologies such as exoskeletons, wearable sensors, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and virtual and augmented reality are being integrated into the workplace. From design, to training, to assessments, to solution implementation, these new technologies hold promise in helping companies:

  • Protect their people, and
  • Improve their bottom-line

This article provides a “high-level” overview of this topic and shares insights on how it affects our field of ergonomics (from a practitioner’s perspective).  Future newsletters will focus on one of these emerging technologies and provide additional details.

Challenges in Today’s Workplace

There are a number challenges that ergonomics practitioners face in today’s workplace. Some of these include providing services for a remote workforce, increased task complexity, awkward work postures, and confined/restricted work areas. Traditional ergonomic solutions may not be feasible in certain environments such as construction, service and utilities, maintenance, aeronautics, and shipbuilding. Emerging technologies may be able to address some of these challenges and lead us into the future.

History and Limitations of Traditional Ergonomics

From a historical perspective, traditional ergonomics practices and methods have had various needs, especially in terms of training, risk assessment, and risk control. The need for skilled ergonomists and highly trained subject matter experts and/or team has always been paramount. Human observation-based methods certainly have their limitations. There is always the worry of subjectivity and accuracy concerns, as well as the challenge of minimizing interruptions to the worker. Traditional ergonomics can also be time consuming. New and emerging technologies have a lot of potential to address these limitations.

Exoskeletons

An exoskeleton is defined as a “wearable device that augments, enables, assists, or enhances motion, posture, or physical activity” (ASTM F48 Technical Committee).  Exoskeletons can be classified as:

  • Passive – Non-Powered (may use internal springs, levers, cams, elastic properties)
  • Active – Powered (may have 1 or more external power sources such actuators or electrical motors)

Many of the exoskeletons currently being piloted and implemented in industry are passive devices. Most of these devices are body-part specific; some are assistive to the upper extremity (i.e. shoulders and upper arms), some to the back, and others to the knees/legs. Several even include integrated tool balancers which connect to exoskeleton framework.

Levitate Technologies Airframe

Ottobock Paexo Back

SuitX LegX

The jury is still out on whether these are considered an engineering control (as a portable assistive device) or considered personal protective equipment (PPE).  However, early adopter companies like Toyota, Boeing, and John Deere that are using these devices in manufacturing are treating these devices as PPE and instituting for specific job tasks that meet certain criteria and not as a blanket solution.  Research is ongoing on the positive and negative impacts of these solutions and the adoption challenges that employers face, but evidence suggests that such technology may be beneficial for certain applications in which traditional ergonomic solutions (i.e. cranes/hoists, lift tables, lift carts, etc.) may not be feasible.

Wearable Sensors

As far as wearable sensor technology is concerned, there is a wide-range of devices…from Fitbits that measure heart rate and step count to more advanced technology that measures postures, movements, muscle activity, and even brain waves. One basic device on the market today includes the Lumo Lift, a wearable sensor that allows users to set a target or neutral posture and any time users deviate from that posture (whether seated or standing), the device provides haptic feedback (i.e. gentle vibration) to remind users not to slouch or deviate from that neutral posture. Other more advanced devices include dorsaVi ViSafe, GoX Labs Boost, LifeBooster, Kinetic REFLEX, Modjoul SmartBelt, and StrongArm FUSE use wearable sensor technology, machine learning, and data analytics to understand worker postures, movements, predict risk, proximity (for social distancing). Some of these also detect environmental factors like temperature, thermal stress, humidity, air quality, barometric pressure, and noise. Other wearable neurotechnology sensors such as EMOTIV and BrainBit measure mental activity through EEG technology to provide indicators of stress, mental fatigue, attention, excitement, and can even be used to control other devices.

 

 

 Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision

What is artificial intelligence or AI?  For you movie buffs, what comes to mind are movies like The Terminator and The Matrix, right?  AI is really just the umbrella term used to describe the broad branch of computer science that gives machines the ability to seem like they have human intelligence. This can occur through machine logic, machine learning, & perception.  You might not think you use AI every day, but you do. If you use voice recognition on your phone to write a text, use autocorrect, use autocomplete, use Siri or Alexa, that is AI.  Marketing ads that pop up on your Facebook page or in your email, that’s AI at work.  Computer vision and predictive analytics are among some of the disciplines associated within AI.

Computer Vision – The field of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers and systems to derive meaningful information from digital images, videos and other visual inputs, and takes action (per data). Applications of computer vision include facial recognition software to unlock your cell phone, home security systems that detect a burglar, detecting damages to equipment or machinery needing maintenance or service and the system triggering a response (i.e. ordering a new part, notifying mechanic, etc.).

For ergonomics, AI and computer vision are being used to help automate ergonomic risk assessments.  Commercially available products such as Cerebrum Edge, Ergo Insight, Kinetica Labs, Soter Analytics, and TuMeke are available and being used by some companies in an attempt to provide more timely, accurate, and actionable insights to employers.  While optimism remains high, some of the current challenges that such technology faces are: 1) video sharing and data security, 2) scalability, 3) data accuracy, and 4) data processing power needed.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Other exciting emerging technologies used in ergonomics include:

  • Virtual Reality (VR) – Fully immerses the user into an alternative world or reality, apart from the real-world
  • Augmented Reality (AR) – Overlays digital information on real-world elements

 

Applications of using these technologies include:

  • Product Design – Virtual prototyping, design, and interaction with products before being manufactured
  • Manufacturing and Service – Design the layout and equipment on the production floor, simulate job tasks, display manufacturing or service steps to employees
  • Training – Immersive training for engineers, employees, and end users of products

Benefits of VR and AR include: 1) decreased development time, 2) decreased risk to employees or end users, 3) improved cycle times, 4) improved product quality, and 5) decreased manufacturing and service costs to companies.

The Future of Emerging Technologies in Ergonomics

In terms of the future potential of these emerging technologies for ergonomics practitioners, several benefits come to mind:

  • Hiring, Employee Engagement and Retainment – Improved understanding of the physical demands of jobs and functional capacities of individuals can help with employee placement. In addition, involving employees in piloting new technology shows that you are innovative and care about their exposures at an individual level, which helps with employee retainment-which I think is more important now than ever before given current labor shortage.
  • Training – Using technology to train and show employees their risks (visually or through haptic feedback) as well as showing them ways to avoid such risks would reduce their likelihood of injury and optimize performance. Neurotechnology wearables could also be used to understand training effectiveness to optimize training methods.
  • Job Prioritization – Data collected from such technologies on job exposures along with existing data (i.e. injuries, accidents, near misses, bottlenecks, quality issues, and employee complaints)   can be compiled and data / predictive analytics can be used to help determine priorities for ergonomics efforts.
  • Job Assessments – While there is still work to be done, the use of technology to increase the speed and accuracy of job assessments, with minimal training or expertise has great potential. In addition, the use of such technology to develop more predictive multi-factorial injury risk models and/or cumulative exposures will lead to improved controls and solutions for such risks.
  • Job Design and Controls – Improved job assessments leads to improved design and insights on controls and solutions. Emerging technologies and data analytics should allow employers to make better informed decisions on solutions that will be most effective and provide a better return-on-investment (ROI).
  • Program / Cultural Evaluation and Continuous Improvement – Lastly, such technology is all about data and making better informed decisions in a more timely manner and, involving employees along the way. This approach allows better overall evaluation of an ergonomics program and culture, and continuous improvement based on data from these emerging technologies.

As practitioners (within private industry, with help from academia, & government), we MUST get involved with understanding these emerging technologies to advance forward and stay competitive now and into the future.