The geometric mean is a superior frequency response averaging method for human body vibration

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Vibration Analysis
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Frequency response data of human body vibration is crucial for standardization, vehicle design, and occupational health and safety.
• Commonly used averaging methods for frequency response spectra include arithmetic averaging (complex or magnitude domain) and median averaging.
• These traditional methods may not accurately represent the true mean due to noise, distortion, and nonlinearity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of different averaging methods for human body vibration frequency response spectra.
• To identify an averaging method that minimizes deviation and bias from the true mean value.
• To recommend a more accurate method for analyzing vibration data in standardization and safety applications.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of arithmetic averaging (complex and magnitude domains), median averaging, and geometric averaging (complex domain).
• Evaluation based on the ability to minimize deviation of measured values from the mean.
• Assessment of the methods' effectiveness in reducing bias introduced by noise, distortion, and nonlinearity.

Main Results:

• Geometric averaging in the complex domain demonstrates superior performance compared to arithmetic and median averaging.
• The commonly used arithmetic and median averaging methods are less suitable for analyzing frequency response spectra.
• Geometric averaging effectively minimizes both deviation and bias, leading to more accurate results.

Conclusions:

• Geometric averaging in the complex domain is the recommended method for averaging human body vibration frequency response spectra.
• This method provides a more accurate representation of the true mean, essential for reliable standardization and safety measures.
• Adopting geometric averaging can improve the design of transport vehicles and occupational health and safety protocols.