Applied Ergonomics最新文献

{"title":"Establishing moment-angle equations to predict low back exoskeleton support moment","authors":"Jarrod A. Smith ,&nbsp;Shahram Rasoulian ,&nbsp;Ryan Porto ,&nbsp;Joel A. Cort","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exoskeletons have emerged as a promising technology for potentially mitigating the risk of injuries by providing mechanical support and reducing loads on the body. There are a variety of low back passive exoskeletons currently available. While manufactures do provide specifications on the peak supportive moment capabilities, little is known about their moment-angle relationship through their full range of motion. This information is valuable when deciding on which exoskeleton best supports the task demands on job. This study aimed to develop moment-angle equations for two passive low back support exoskeletons (SuitX BackX and Laevo V2.5). These equations can provide valuable insights into the mechanical behavior and the extent of supportive moment delivered by passive low-back support exoskeletons during dynamic tasks. These equations can be used from a preventative perspective to help practitioners understand how much support may be provided given task and operator characteristics. For experimental data collection, we secured exoskeletons on a dynamometer (Biodex System 4) and loaded in a full range of motion with five different loading rates, i.e., 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 deg/sec. Results show polynomial regression equations for each exoskeleton, motion, support setting and angular velocity which were determined based on low mean square error and high-squared values. Implications for this work include integration within digital human modeling technology to help determine the need for exoskeleton implementation as a tool that can reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104586"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Designing and implementing exoskeleton devices for nurses with acute and chronic pain","authors":"Eleanore Rae Scheer ,&nbsp;Jad A. Atweh ,&nbsp;Jessica Arora ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Thompson ,&nbsp;Lauren Petty ,&nbsp;Rachel Huh ,&nbsp;Jaiden Murray ,&nbsp;Elvie Sellers ,&nbsp;Divya Srinivasan ,&nbsp;Rupa S. Valdez","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nursing is classified as a high-risk occupation due to significant physical demands and lack of ergonomic support. With age, nurses are increasingly likely to develop acute and/or chronic pain (ACP), exacerbating the nursing shortage. Nurses/nurse managers with ACP may benefit from exoskeletons tailored to their ergonomic needs. Our objective was to elicit the social and organizational factors important to exoskeleton design and implementation for nurses/nurse managers with ACP working in long-term care facilities. We conducted a thematic analysis of surveys and interview data of predominantly.</div><div>Black/African American nurses/nurse managers. Results highlighted potential social impacts on disabled patients being cared for by a nurse in an exoskeleton, exoskeleton training considerations for leaders of long-term care facilities, anticipated pressures to increase productivity due to exoskeleton use, and descriptions of nurses’ (dis)comforts disclosing pain-related needs. Findings may guide ergonomists in balancing the work systems of nurses/managers with ACP using exoskeletons in long-term care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104596"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-vehicle multi-sensory experiences can reduce mental stress","authors":"Jingkun Wang ,&nbsp;Chiho Lim ,&nbsp;Mansoor Nasir ,&nbsp;Justine Nestorowich ,&nbsp;Calandra Berry ,&nbsp;Poushali Ray ,&nbsp;Brandon J. Pitts ,&nbsp;Denny Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Daily stress is a widespread and growing concern that impacts both mental and physical well-being. Although many evidence-based strategies exist, including yoga, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and sensory approaches such as scent, massage, auditory, and visual stimulation, they often require time, training, or specialized environments, which limits their accessibility in everyday life. This study explores an alternative, practical approach by evaluating a multi-sensory in-vehicle relaxation system designed for use while the vehicle is stationary. Given that personal vehicles are central to daily routines, they present an underutilized yet promising space for passive stress recovery. Forty-eight participants engaged in three conditions following a stress-inducing cognitive task: a control (no relaxation), multi-sensory relaxation without scent, and multi-sensory relaxation with scent. Physiological responses were measured via EEG and ECG, and subjective stress ratings were collected to assess each condition's impact. Both multi-sensory relaxation experiences (with and without scent) significantly reduced stress compared to the control. The relaxation methods resulted in a 33 ms increase in mean RR, a 5 ms increase in RMSSD, and an increase in the alpha/beta ratio at frontal EEG channels. Ninety-eight percent of participants preferred the relaxation experience over the control experience, and 62 % indicated they would use it regularly in similar scenarios. These findings suggest that multi-sensory relaxation methods can reduce stress following a cognitively demanding task and are well-received by participants. Integrating such relaxation experiences into vehicles could reduce stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104592"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Secular trends in facial anthropometry among Chilean workers: Implications for ergonomic respirator design and fit panel adaptation","authors":"Edgardo C. Silva ,&nbsp;Héctor Ignacio Castellucci ,&nbsp;Roberto Camberes ,&nbsp;Josefina Lira ,&nbsp;Jaime Marabolí ,&nbsp;Carlos Viviani ,&nbsp;Johan F.M. Molenbroek ,&nbsp;Toon Huysmans ,&nbsp;Ariel Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Luis Alberto Caroca ,&nbsp;Jaime Ibacache","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ergonomic fit of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is critical for ensuring both protection and long-term usability in occupational settings. However, most respirators are designed based on outdated or foreign anthropometric data that may not represent local populations. In Chile, as in many countries without updated national databases, this mismatch can compromise comfort, effectiveness, and user compliance. This study evaluated temporal changes in facial dimensions among Chilean workers and assessed the applicability of four widely used respirator fit test panels. Two representative datasets collected a decade apart were analyzed: Dataset A (n = 474; 2013) with manual measurements, and Dataset B (n = 2016; 2024) using 3D facial scanning. Eleven facial dimensions recommended by ISO standards were examined against the LANL half- and full-facepiece panels and the NIOSH/ISO bivariate and PCA panels. Results showed significant increases in facial size, particularly among men, and a general shift toward larger facial morphologies. The NIOSH/ISO bivariate panel provided the highest coverage, while the LANL full-facepiece panel showed the poorest fit, especially among recent male participants. Gender-based differences in fit were consistent across both datasets. These findings underscore the need for updated, population-specific anthropometric references and the ergonomic redesign of respirators and fit panels. Although centered on Chile, the study has global relevance for countries that import RPE without validating fit locally. The methodology offers a scalable approach for aligning protective equipment with evolving worker characteristics, supporting international efforts to improve comfort, safety, and usability through data-informed design. These declining match rates suggest that respirator fit panels may become increasingly outdated, potentially compromising worker safety if they are not updated to reflect current population characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104594"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Technical field-evaluation of exoskeleton-assisted overhead work among carpenters","authors":"Mikkel Brandt ,&nbsp;Sandra Schade Jacobsen ,&nbsp;Sebastian Skals ,&nbsp;Ika Nimb ,&nbsp;Jeppe Z.N. Ajslev ,&nbsp;Emil Sundstrup ,&nbsp;Lars L. Andersen ,&nbsp;Markus Due Jakobsen","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carpenters in construction commonly perform overhead work tasks such as installing ceiling panels, plastering, and formwork. While laboratory studies suggest exoskeletons may reduce strain during such work, their effectiveness in real-life conditions remains uncertain. This randomized cross-over field study investigates the effects of a passive shoulder exoskeleton on muscle activity and kinematics in 20 carpenters during overhead work tasks. Results showed reduced peak muscle activity (nEMG) in the shoulders and forearms (−3.1 to −9.4 %), but increased activity in the lower back (2.3–3.4 %) when using the exoskeleton. Kinematic analysis revealed minimal changes in range-of-motion (&lt;3.1°) and peak joint angles. Participants reported good usability and willingness to use the exoskeleton in the future. This study demonstrates positive effects on shoulder load in real working conditions but highlights the need to consider increased low-back load when implementing exoskeletons for overhead work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104582"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing safe and sustainable work activities in the industries of the future in metal additive manufacturing. A literature review of methods and proposals","authors":"Marie Chizallet ,&nbsp;Anne-Cécile Lafeuillade ,&nbsp;Emilie Le Guen ,&nbsp;Marco Peña-Jimenez ,&nbsp;Sophie Prunier-Poulmaire ,&nbsp;Christophe Lemaire ,&nbsp;Denis Taing ,&nbsp;Sandra Robert ,&nbsp;Thierry Meyer ,&nbsp;Bruno Vallespir ,&nbsp;Louis Galey","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of work and prevention practices in the metal additive manufacturing industry faces new challenges in relation to sustainable work, with the integration of the production process, from design to manufacturing, into a collaborative organisation. This article explores the relationship between the development of health in the workplace, based on work activities, mitigation of exposure situations, and sustainable work. An analysis of 11 articles pertaining to the reduction of occupational exposure is presented, in light of the observation that the criteria of the ergotoxicological approach are conducive to the advancement of sustainable work. Recommendations for methods are made according to their relevance to the advancement of safe and sustainable work in the Industry of the Future, further to the discussions of a multidisciplinary working group (ergonomics, work psychology, industrial hygiene, process engineering, and organisation modelling). This work promotes reflection on the design of a transferable method for preventionists, ergonomists and companies. The originality of this article is that, by proposing related methods, it explicitly incorporates consideration of exposure to hazards into the concept of sustainable work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104591"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are the shapes and sizes of pen barrel the factors to influence handwriting kinetics?","authors":"Li-Chieh Kuo ,&nbsp;Chung-Hung Tsai ,&nbsp;Chieh-Hsiang Hsu ,&nbsp;Cheng-Feng Lin ,&nbsp;Hsiu-Yun Hsu ,&nbsp;Chin-Wei Liu ,&nbsp;Yu-Chen Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Handwriting plays a vital role in children's learning. Choosing the correct writing tools, particularly in terms of pen shape and size, remains challenging. The influence of pen design on handwriting performance, particularly hand kinetics, is not fully understood. This study investigated how different pen shapes and sizes affect handwriting kinetics and performance in children and adults. Using a custom Force Acquisition Pen (FAP) system, the average force (AF), coefficient of variation of force (CVF), and force ratio (FR) were measured in 12 children (9.19 ± 0.97 years) and 18 adults (26.29 ± 3.21 years). Participants completed tracing tasks rather than free copying using circular and triangular pens with altered grip diameters (13, 17, and 21 mm), simulating the effect of different pen barrel thicknesses to standardize stroke paths and ensure consistency across trials. The findings revealed that, at smaller grip diameters (13 mm and 17 mm), triangular pens elicited lower FR values than circular pens in children. Adults showed more stable force control with a lower CVF across grip sizes. These results offer valuable guidance in selecting appropriate writing tools for children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104595"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144563716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of notification modality in smartwatches: A context of sedentary behavior interventions","authors":"Syafa Thania Prawibowo,&nbsp;Fitri Trapsilawati,&nbsp;Ardiyanto Ardiyanto","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sedentary behavior associated with prolonged computer use poses significant health risks. Smartwatch-based stand-up reminders offer a promising intervention, yet the effectiveness of different notification modalities remains unclear. This controlled laboratory study used a within-subject design to compare four notification modalities: visual-only, visual-auditory, visual-tactile, and visual-auditory-tactile, evaluated using metrics including response times, response rates, compliance times, compliance rates, and user preferences. Twenty participants performed computer-based data processing tasks at a sit-stand workstation while receiving stand-up reminder notifications at random intervals every 7–10 min, prompting them to stand. We hypothesized that multimodal notifications would outperform the visual-only modality in terms of user responsiveness and user preferences. The results supported this hypothesis: both bimodal modalities (visual-auditory and visual-tactile) significantly reduced response times and increased response rates as well as user preferences compared to the visual-only condition (p &lt; 0.001), while performing as effectively as the trimodal condition. Furthermore, response rates were positively correlated with two dimensions of user preferences, confirmation (ρ = 0.497, p &lt; 0.001) and continuance intention (ρ = 0.422, p &lt; 0.001), indicating that user trust and willingness to continue using the system were associated to the system performance. These findings suggest that smartwatch developers and manufacturers should avoid using visual-only notifications as the default and instead promote the use of at least bimodal reminders to enhance user responses and preferences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sick of being driven? – Prevalence and modulating factors of carsickness in the European population in context of automated driving","authors":"Myriam Metzulat ,&nbsp;Barbara Metz ,&nbsp;Aaron Edelmann ,&nbsp;Alexandra Neukum ,&nbsp;Wilfried Kunde","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As in automated driving the driver becomes a passenger, carsickness might reduce comfort for susceptible individuals. Insights in the prevalence of carsickness and its modulating factors are considered useful for the development of automated vehicles to mitigate or prevent its occurrence. An online survey was conducted with <em>N</em> = 3999 participants in Spain, Sweden, Poland, and Germany. 30 % of participants reported to have already experienced carsickness as adult. The frequency of carsickness was modulated not only by demographic factors (country, gender, age), but also by frequency of being a passenger, type of non-driving related task, road type, and the seating position in car. Furthermore, the efficiency of applied countermeasures, temporal aspects of carsickness development, as well as the relation of carsickness with the acceptability of automated driving and the effect on subjective fitness to drive was investigated. The results are discussed with focus on automated driving.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104590"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptations to fatigue during a repetitive multiplanar lifting task","authors":"Emma J. Ratke ,&nbsp;Dennis J. Larson ,&nbsp;Michael W.R. Holmes ,&nbsp;Shawn M. Beaudette","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Warehouse workers are often required to perform physically demanding repetitive lifting tasks leading to fatigue. Previous research has primarily focused on constrained lifting tasks when investigating fatigue. The purpose of the current study was to investigate fatigue-based movement adaptations during a multiplanar, ecologically relevant lifting task. Participants (n = 28) lifted, transferred, and lowered a mass continuously for 60 min. Full body kinematics and muscle activity of the lumbar erector spinae, rectus abdominis, external oblique, and anterior deltoids were collected continuously. Results suggest that the load moment arm decreased across the trial (4% decrease), and participants tended to complete movements faster (4% decrease). Further, participants exhibited less variability in thorax-pelvis flexion deviation phase when fatigued (9% decrease). Finally, rectus abdominis activity increased (4%MVIC increase), while anterior deltoid activity decreased over time (2% decrease). These behavioural, coordination-based, and muscular adaptations to fatigue all have potential implications for injury risk in repetitive lifting tasks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 104587"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}