Development and design of a dynamic armrest for hydraulic-actuation joystick controlled mobile machines

Standard armrests used in conjunction with joysticks of heavy mobile machinery have been proven to inadequately meet operator needs, resulting in excessive static loading of shoulder musculature. During joystick operation, the trajectory of the user's forearm is governed by the motion of the controller, which creates horizontal and vertical movement of the forearm. The vertical motion of the forearm in the forward and backward motion create postures that stationary armrests cannot support thereby generating increased muscle activation and risk of repetitive strain injuries. The current paper describes the design process used in creating a dynamic armrest that replicates the operator's natural motion trajectories. By incorporating the natural motion paths into a dynamic armrest, the postural requirements and muscular activation of the operator's shoulder may be reduced.