Validation of tri-axial accelerometer for the calculation of elevation angles

Details

• Personal Author:
  Amasay T ; Hess, Jeffery E. ; Karduna A ; Kincl, Laurel ; Zodrow K
• Description:
  One of the main challenges in occupational studies of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is how to quantify workers' exposures to risk factors during a workday. Studies have indicated that workers who spend much of the day with arms elevated higher than 60 degrees are at increased risk of shoulder injury. Researchers in occupational studies commonly use accelerometers to measure arm elevation angles, but these devices are sensitive to linear acceleration and can only assess two axes of rotation. In the present study researchers tested the Virtual Corset, a pager-sized, battery powered, tri-axial linear accelerometer originally designed to measure trunk flexion. The Virtual Corset accurately predicted arm elevation angles under static conditions, but using the device effectively for angle measurement under dynamic conditions proved difficult. For the static condition, the RMS error of the calculated elevation angles was found to be less than 1 degree. Under dynamic conditions the calculated elevation angle error ranged from 10 degrees to 80 degrees. The farther the Virtual Corset was located on the arm from the axis of rotation (the shoulder), the higher the errors. From a practical point of view, use of the Virtual corset for quantifying shoulder elevation for static or sustained postures is appropriate, but if used for dynamic work, the elevation angle RMS errors of 10 degrees and above might be too big and meaningless to analyze. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workload Workplace
• Keywords:
  Acceleration Body-mechanics Exposure-levels Extremities Injuries Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Risk-factors Work-capability Work-capacity Work-environment Work-performance Workers

  More +
• Publisher:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OD - Office of the Director
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046799
• Citation:
  Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2015 May; :1
• Email:
  lwelch@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Validation of tri-axial accelerometer for the calculation of elevation angles
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fb402c83a52b4beccefa22f54242fc2b45e55a1ce090cb5234dae5e922de7c8959623beab9119902f009855a9a19264c65003b717f867735164d560df2b05fde
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202108/cdc_202108_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 47.20 KB ]