A Low Cost Motion Analysis System Based on RGB Cameras to Support Ergonomic Risk Assessment in Real Workplaces

Abstract

This paper introduces a motion analysis system based on a network of common RGB cameras, which provides the measurement of various angles considered for postural assessment, in order to facilitate the evaluation of the ergonomic indices commonly used for the determination of risk of musculoskeletal disorders of operators in manufacturing workplaces. To enable the tracking of operator postures during the performed tasks, the system exploits the multi person keypoints detection library “OpenPose”. The proposed system has been validated with a real industrial case study regarding a washing machine assembly line. Results suggest how the proposed system supports ergonomists in risk assessment of musculoskeletal disorders through the OCRA index.