K-score: A novel scoring system to quantify fatigue-related ergonomic risk based on joint angle measurements via wearable inertial measurement units
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Published on: May 26, 2020
Karla Beltran Martinez1, Milad Nazarahari2, Hossein Rouhani1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada.
Abstract:
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been recognized as a global problem that affects millions of people annually. Fatigue is one of the main contributors to musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, this study investigated fatigue detection based on the measured body motion by wearable inertial measurement units. We quantified the body motion during manual handling tasks using a novel kinematic score (i.e., K-score), and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). K-score and REBA were calculated using joint angles. Nevertheless, unlike REBA, K-score showed a significant correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient of ρ(302) = 0.21, p < 0.05) with electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude, which was affected by muscle fatigue. Therefore, in-field measurement of K-score using inertial measurement units could detect the fatigue-induced change of body motion in long-duration manual handling tasks. Our proposed K-score can be used to assess fatigue-related ergonomic risk in long-term and real-world working conditions without the need for tedious EMG recording at workplaces.
