Assessing Vibrotactile Feedback Effects on Posture, Muscle Recruitment, and Cognitive Performance.

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent among medical professionals like dentists, who often maintain prolonged, ergonomically disadvantageous postures. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a wearable sensor-based monitoring and feedback system designed to improve posture and evaluate muscle recruitment. Thirty-five healthy adults participated in a controlled experiment, performing a typing task under various postural conditions with and without haptic feedback. Surface electromyography sensors measured muscle activity in the upper trapezius and infraspinatus muscles, while inertial measurement units tracked spine orientation. The results indicated that haptic feedback significantly influenced muscle activity and posture. Feedback reduced deviations from the desired postures but increased muscle activity in certain conditions. Cognitive performance, measured by typing speed, decreased with feedback, suggesting a trade-off between maintaining posture and the performance of the task. These findings highlight the potential of haptic feedback in ergonomic interventions to mitigate MSDs. Future research should explore the long-term effects and optimize feedback mechanisms to balance posture correction and cognitive demands.