Ergonomics Commons^™

Barriers To Integrating Magnetic Resonance Imaging Systems In Emergency Medical Service Ambulances For Stroke Care, Arvind Kolangarakath

All Theses

Stroke is a life-threatening condition that can cause permanent damage by stopping blood flow in the brain. Quick and precise intervention is imperative, as every second lost increases tissue deterioration and impacts patient outcomes. Several technological advancements such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), have revolutionized stroke care by enabling more accurate and quicker diagnoses in hospitals. Portable head MRI scanners with lower magnetic fields are a recent innovation capable of providing neuroimaging at the point of care within hospital settings. Integrating such a device into ambulances could potentially enhance stroke care during transit, facilitating prompt diagnosis and prognosis. However, few …

A Study Of Group Effectiveness In A Virtual Reality Environment., Dalton Clay Sparks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has revolutionized the study of team effectiveness, yet many studies in this domain lack a comprehensive approach, focusing narrowly on performance metrics. This thesis investigates VR team effectiveness by integrating traditional Team Effectiveness frameworks with VR-specific dynamics. Utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Group Style Inventory (GSI), this study assesses teams within a VR environment, specifically a multiplayer submarine simulation game, IronWolfVR. Fifteen groups, totaling 45 participants, were observed for their collaborative gameplay, incorporating physiological measures (Heart Rate and Electrodermal Activity), team coordination dynamics, and various survey-based assessments (demographics, System Usability Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and …

Kwad - Ksu All Weather Autonomous Drone, Nick Farinacci, Sebastian Gomez, Stewart Baker, Ed Sheridan

Symposium of Student Scholars

"KWAD" or "KSU all-Weather Autonomous Drone" project was sponsored by Ultool, LLC to the KSU Research and Service Foundation to create a lightweight drone capable of capturing HD video during all-weather operations. The conditions of all-weather operation include rainfall of one inch per hour and wind speeds of up to twenty miles per hour. In addition, a global minimum structural safety factor of two is required to ensure the system's integrity in extreme weather conditions. Potential mission profiles include autonomous aerial delivery, topological mapping in high moisture areas, security surveillance, search and rescue operations, emergency transportation of medical supplies, and …

Contraintes Thermophysiologiques Associées Aux Vêtements Individuels De Protection Des Pompiers : Impact Et Efficacité Des Membranes Barrières Et Des Designs Du Vêtement, Denis Marchand, Chantal Gauvin, Marie-Anne Landry-Duval

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les vêtements individuels de protection (VIP) contribuent aux contraintes thermiques et physiologiques subies par les travailleurs. Or, ces contraintes constituent un problème préoccupant pour la santé et la sécurité, notamment pour les pompiers. D’ailleurs, les contraintes thermophysiologiques sont associées à un risque accru d’événements cardiovasculaires, qui représentent la cause la plus fréquente de décès chez les pompiers. L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer la réponse physiologique au port de VIP pour les pompiers, munis de deux membranes barrières humidifuges, dont l’une, ayant des propriétés de perméabilité à la vapeur d’eau et de transfert de chaleur améliorées. Un nouveau concept qui …

Variability In Anesthesia And Its Implications For Improving Patient Safety, Joshua Michael Biro

All Dissertations

Improving patient safety in anesthesia has proven to be an arduous and challenging task. Despite the many strategies and interventions to improve patient safety that have been employed, patient harm in anesthesia remains a problem. The struggle to reduce patient harm in anesthesia is both attributable to and representative of the complexity of the anesthesia system. In navigating this complex system, anesthesia providers have different approaches to how they accomplish their work, which results in variability in anesthesia practice. This variability provides an immense challenge to designing and implementing efforts to improve patient safety, as rigid interventions are often met …

Passive Vs. Active Wearable Technology Monitoring Trunk Flexion In Elementary Teachers, Bailey Jose

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to assess the biomechanical and subjective measures of elementary school teachers while wearing active and/or passive wearable devices during the average workday. Five elementary school teachers wore a harness that held an Upright GO 2 posture tracking device and a Vicon Blue Trident sensor on the participant's upper back for two school days. Haptic feedback was on for one day and off for the other. Data from the Vicon wearable was analyzed to determine participants’ trunk flexion severity, frequency, and duration. Surveys were used to determine perceived exertion and perception of wearable technology. This …

A Generalizable Method And Case Application For Development And Use Of The Aviation Systems – Trust Survey (As-Ts)., Jamison Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

Automated systems are integral in the development of modern aircraft, especially for complex military aircraft. Pilot Trust in Automation (TIA) in these systems is vital for optimizing the pilot-vehicle interface and ensuring pilots use the systems appropriately to complete required tasks.

The objective of this research was to develop and validate a TIA scale and survey methodology to identify and mitigate trust deficiencies with automated systems for use in Army Aviation testing. There is currently no standard TIA assessment methodology for U.S. Army aviation pilots that identifies trust deficiencies and potential mitigations.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify …

Human Factors Engineering, Robert S. Keyser

KSU Distinguished Course Repository

Human Factors Engineering is a comprehensive survey of human factors theory, research, and applications which are of particular relevance to Quality and Engineering Management. Emphasis will be placed on operator constraints in the design of work processes, workplaces, and instrumentation.

The Effect Of Mental Demand On Body Postures, Rodrick Adams, Valentina Niño

Symposium of Student Scholars

How we perceive our work has a profound relationship with how our body reacts to help facilitate the performance of our tasks. This is an observational study of the experiment in which participants performed tasks under four different conditions (baseline, interruptions, time, and alarm) and used NASA-TLX (NASA- Task Load Index) scores to assess their mental workload for each condition across six dimensions: mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, effort, performance, and frustration level. We juxtaposed their NASA-TLX score with corresponding REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) scores while standing and RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) scores while sitting to determine …

Utilisation Des Ponts Élévateurs De Véhicules Hors Terre À Deux Colonnes : Identification De Déterminants Techniques De Stabilité Et Des Déterminants Du Travail Des Techniciens Automobiles, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Sylvie Beaugrand, Bertrand Galy, Maud Gonella, François Gauthier, Élise Ledoux, Isabelle Berger, Isvieysys Armas Marrero, Kariane Cusson Bertrand

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cette recherche porte spécifiquement sur l’utilisation des ponts élévateurs de véhicules (PEV) hors terre à deux colonnes (HT2C). Les PEV HT2C sont utilisés par les techniciens automobiles lors de l’entretien et de la réparation des véhicules et les amènent à travailler sous ou à proximité d’une charge surélevée de plusieurs tonnes. La mort d’un jeune technicien en 2014 est à l’origine d’une concertation du secteur de la réparation automobile et de ces travaux de recherche. La chute d’un véhicule d’un PEV HT2C est le risque ciblé par cette étude.

De nombreux facteurs sont susceptibles de contribuer à la chute d’un …

Analysis Of The Physical Discomfort Of Earplugs Experienced By A Group Of Workers In Canadian Companies And Identification Of The Influencing Variables, Bastien Poissenot-Arrigoni, Alessia Negrini, Djamal Berbiche, Franck Sgard, Olivier Doutres

Études primaires

Earplugs are widely used to prevent noise induced hearing loss. However, the discomforts they induce negatively impacts their effectiveness by influencing their consistent and correct use. The physical earplugs discomfort is related to the user perception resulting from biomechanical and thermal interactions between the earplug and the earcanal. Its main attributes are “physical annoyance”, “pain”, “pressure” and “irritation". The (dis)comfort results from the complex interactions between the wearer, his/her earplug, and his/her work environment, which form the concept of triad. This study aims at improving our understanding of the physical discomfort of earplugs by identifying the triad characteristics that have …

Pressure Induced By Roll-Down Foam-Earplugs On Earcanal, Ahmed Dalaq, Luiz Melo, Franck Sgard, Olivier Doutres, Éric Wagnac

Études primaires

Physical discomfort of earplug is a common complaint, so much so it jeopardizes the health and safety of workers, resulting in frequent noncompliance to proper wearing of earplugs. A pressing need thus arises to understand the underlying mechanics for the interaction of earplugs with earcanal walls. An idealized cylindrical geometry of earcanal is first treated with computational and analytical modeling to predict the pressure induced by roll-down cylindrical PVC foam earplugs. In order to predict representative pressure values and distribution, we estimated the hyperelastic properties of foam-based earplugs and characterized their behavior using a stent testing machine (J-Crimp^TM machine) …

An Exploration Into The Design Of A Portable Music Player For People With Alzheimer’S And Dementia, Jaxon V. Silva

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

An exploration into the design of a portable music player for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Exploring The Effects Of Meaningful Tactile Display On Perception And Preference In Automated Vehicles, Kimberly D. Martinez, Gaojian Huang

Mineta Transportation Institute

There is an existing issue in human-machine interaction, such that drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles are still required to take over control of the vehicle during system limitations. A possible solution may lie in tactile displays, which can present status, direction, and position information while avoiding sensory (e.g., visual and auditory) channels overload to reliably help drivers make timely decisions and execute actions to successfully take over. However, limited work has investigated the effects of meaningful tactile signals on takeover performance. This study synthesizes literature investigating the effects of tactile displays on takeover performance in automated vehicles and conducts a human-subject …

Mise Au Point Et Validation D’Une Approche Terrain De Prédiction Des Chargements Au Dos Basée Sur Des Données De Laboratoire, Alain Delisle, François Thénault, André Plamondon, Hakim Mecheri

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les troubles musculosquelettiques (TMS) et particulièrement ceux au bas du dos affectent de nombreux travailleuses et travailleurs chaque année au Québec (Vézina et al., 2011). Le chargement mécanique au bas dos est reconnu comme un facteur de risque pouvant mener au développement de maux de dos, et la manutention de charges peut occasionner des chargements importants et répétés. La façon habituelle de quantifier le chargement au dos des individus est d’estimer le moment qui s’exerce à l’articulation lombo-sacrée (L5/S1). L’estimation de ce moment se fait généralement en laboratoire et nécessite la connaissance de la position et de l’orientation de …

Back And Shoulder Exoskeletons For Occupational Use: A Review, Erkan Ozan

Theses

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for a large portion of all work-related injuries according to OSHA. Back and shoulder-related disorders make the most of work-related MSDs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Exoskeletons emerged in recent years with the potential to reduce the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Their use in occupational settings is increasing, and exoskeleton designs are rapidly evolving. This paper reviewed recent scientific articles (2015 and after) that evaluated back and shoulder-support passive industrial exoskeletons. The findings of these articles are summarized and analyzed to assess the benefits of passive upper-body exoskeletons by …

Evaluating Safety And Productivity Relationship In Human-Robot Collaboration, Aayush Jain, Shakra Mehak, Philip Long, John D. Kelleher, Michael Guilfoyle, Maria Chiara Leva

Conference papers

Collaborative robots can improve ergonomics on factory floors while allowing a higher level of flexibility in production. The evolution of robotics and cyber-physical systems in size and functionality has enabled new applications which were never foreseen in traditional industrial robots. However, the current human-robot collaboration (HRC) technologies are limited in reliability and safety, which are vital in risk-critical scenarios. Certainly, confusion about European safety regulations has led to situations where collaborative robots operate behind security barriers, thus negating their advantages while reducing overall application productivity. Despite recent advances, developing a safe collaborative robotic system for performing complex industrial or daily …

A Biomechanical Approach To Prevent Falls In Ergonomic Settings, Sachini Kodithuwakku Arachchige

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Fall-related injuries are exceptionally prevalent in occupational settings. While endangering the workers’ health, falls cause poor productivity and increased economic burden in the workplace. Hence, identifying these threats and training workers to achieve proper postural control is crucial. Purpose: Study 1: To investigate the ankle joint kinematics in unexpected and expected trip responses during single-tasking (ST), dual-tasking (DT), and triple-tasking (TT), before and after a physically fatiguing exercise. Study 2: To investigate the impact of virtual heights, DT, and training on static postural stability and cognitive processing. Methods: Study 1: Twenty collegiate volunteers (10 males and females, one left …

Effect Of Automation Level On Cognitive Workload When Collaborating With A Robotic Assistant, Mitchell A. Champagne

LSU Master's Theses

Manufacturing robotics have been used for decades to perform repetitive tasks, or tasks that require increased levels of speed, strength, or precision to meet production and specification requirements. Determining the appropriate degree of automation for both the human and robot collaborative team members is critical to optimize production as well as user experience. If the degree of automation is too high, the human will be out of the loop which can result in the loss of situational awareness and be detrimental to intervention time and accuracy. If the degree of automation is too low, then the human may experience greater …

Développement D’Une Méthodologie Pour Évaluer La Performance Des Gants À Isoler Des Vibrations En Tenant Compte De La Dextérité Ainsi Que De La Force De Préhension, Pierre Marcotte, Subhash Rakheja, Christian Larivière, Yumeng Yao, Chantal Gauvin, Karim Hamouda, Hakim Mecheri

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L'efficacité des gants antivibrations pour réduire les vibrations transmises à la main est actuellement évaluée en laboratoire selon la méthodologie décrite dans la norme ISO 10819:2013. Cette norme évalue la transmission des vibrations à la paume de la main, mais ne tient pas compte de la transmission des vibrations aux doigts ni de l’effet du port de ces gants sur la dextérité manuelle et l’effort de préhension. Cette étude visait à développer une méthodologie afin d’améliorer l’évaluation de la transmission des vibrations par les gants antivibrations à la paume et aux doigts, tout en tenant compte de l’effet de ces …

The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu

Senior Honors Theses

The modern musician faces a new challenge: how can technology be used to enhance a performance? This thesis documents the development of a Bluetooth remote controller that will aid today’s performing musicians by interacting with a digital display (e.g., an iPad) to flip musical score pages remotely. At its core, while mimicking a Bluetooth pedal (the current industry standard), this device attaches to the musician’s hand. In its pilot stages, the device has been referred to “MBC” (Music Bluetooth Controller).

Contrôle Des Énergies Dangereuses Par Cadenassage Et Par D’Autres Méthodes Chez Les Électriciens, Les Tuyauteurs, Les Frigoristes Et Les Mécaniciens Du Secteur De La Construction : Étude Exploratoire, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Yuvin Chinniah, Ayoub Nokra

Rapports de recherche scientifique

À la différence des études précédentes de l’Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) sur le contrôle des énergies dangereuses et sur le cadenassage, cette étude est spécifique au secteur de la construction.

En 2016, la section 2.20 « Cadenassage et autres méthodes de contrôle des énergies » a été ajoutée au Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (CSTC) qui régit la santé et la sécurité sur les chantiers de construction au Québec. Cette section du CSTC fait notamment référence à la notion de maître d’œuvre (MO) pour l’encadrement du contrôle des énergies …

Analyse Du Concept De Marge De Manœuvre En Ergonomie Du Point De Vue Du Contrôle De La Motricité Humaine, Philippe Corbeil, André Plamondon, Denys Denis

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le concept de marge de manœuvre se définit comme la liberté dont dispose un travailleur pour élaborer différentes façons de travailler afin de répondre aux exigences de production, et ce, sans effet défavorable sur sa santé (Coutarel, Caroly, Vézina et Daniellou, 2015; St-Vincent et al., 2011). Une forte charge de travail jumelée à une faible latitude décisionnelle restreint l’élaboration des gestes et pourrait pénaliser ainsi la santé des opérateurs. Les connaissances actuelles des façons de faire des manutentionnaires, qu’ils soient experts ou non, ne nous permettent pas d’apprécier dans sa totalité l’ampleur de cette liberté lorsqu’un individu doit répéter …

Human Ergonomic Simulation To Support The Design Of An Exoskeleton For Lashing/De-Lashing Operations Of Containers Cargo, Francesco Longo, Antonio Padovano, Vittorio Solina, Virginia D' Augusta, Stefan Venzl, Roberto Calbi, Michele Bartuni, Ornella Anastasi, Rafael Diaz

VMASC Publications

Lashing and de-lashing operations of containers cargo on board containerships are considered as quite strenuous activities in which operators are required to work continuously over a 6 or 8 hours shift with very limited break. This is mostly because containerships need to leave the port as soon as possible and containers loading and unloading operations must be executed with very high productivity (stay moored in a port is a totally unproductive time for a ship and a loss-making business for a shipping company). Operators performing lashing and de-lashing operations are subjected to intense ergonomic stress and uncomfortable working postures. To …

Submaximal Electromyography-Driven Musculoskeletal Modeling Of The Human Trunk During Static Tasks: Equilibrium And Stability Analyses, Farshid Ghezelbash, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, Denis Gagnon, Ali Shahvarpour, Navid Arjmand, Amir Hossein Eskandari, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Conventional electromyography-driven (EMG) musculoskeletal models are calibrated during maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) tasks, but individuals with low back pain cannot perform unbiased MVCs. To address this issue, EMG-driven models can be calibrated in submaximal tasks. However, the effects of maximal (when data points include the maximum contraction) and submaximal calibration techniques on model outputs (e.g., muscle forces, spinal loads) remain yet unknown. We calibrated a subject-specific EMG-driven model, using maximal/submaximal isometric contractions, and simulated different independent tasks. Both approaches satisfactorily predicted external moments (Pearson’s correlation ∼ 0.75; relative error = 44%), and removing calibration tasks under axial torques markedly improved …

Moyens De Réduction Des Risques Lors Des Phases De Nettoyage Et De Désinfection Des Machines Dans Le Domaine Agroalimentaire : Étude Exploratoire France-Québec, Laurent Giraud, Jean-Christophe Blaise, Nellie Perrin, Yuvin Chinniah, Pascal Poisson

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’industrie de la transformation alimentaire est le plus important employeur industriel au Québec avec près de 56 000 emplois dans plus de 1 400 établissements en 2016. Cependant, au Québec, la Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) estime que le degré de risque de la plupart des secteurs agroalimentaires est critique. Cette industrie est également considérée à haut risque en Europe, notamment en France et en Grande-Bretagne, ainsi qu’aux États-Unis. Les statistiques dans ces pays montrent que les accidents surviennent majoritairement lors de tâches courantes et prévisibles comme le nettoyage et …

Adaptation Des Milieux De Travail Aux Effets Des Changements Climatiques. Tome 2 : Mesures D’Adaptation Destinées Aux Travailleurs Du Québec Les Plus À Risque Vis-À-Vis De La Hausse Des Épisodes De Fortes Chaleurs Liée Aux Changements Climatiques, Bouchra Bakhiyi, Ariane Adam-Poupart, Robert Bourbonnais, Marc-Antoine Busque, Joseph Zayed

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le présent document correspond au tome 2 du rapport de la recherche intitulé « Adaptation des milieux de travail aux effets des changements climatiques ». Il présente le 2^e volet de cette recherche dont l’objectif était de coconstruire des mesures d’adaptation destinées à protéger la santé des travailleurs des 50 professions du Québec les plus à risque vis-à-vis de la hausse des épisodes de fortes chaleurs liée aux Changements climatiques (CC) (désigné par danger A), et ce, en collaboration avec des acteurs clés du secteur de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.

Une revue de la littérature …

The Development Of Authentic Virtual Reality Scenarios To Measure Individuals’ Level Of Systems Thinking Skills And Learning Abilities, Vidanelage L. Dayarathna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops virtual reality modules to capture individuals’ learning abilities and systems thinking skills in dynamic environments. In the first chapter, an immersive queuing theory teaching module is developed using virtual reality technology. The objective of the study is to present systems engineering concepts in a more sophisticated environment and measure students learning abilities. Furthermore, the study explores the performance gaps between male and female students in manufacturing systems concepts. To investigate the gender biases toward the performance of developed VR module, three efficacy measures (simulation sickness questionnaire, systems usability scale, and presence questionnaire) and two effectiveness measures (NASA …

Process Improvement Of Honeysuckle Biscuits And Bakery, Jevon Franklin, Kaela Bellamy, Manuel Quintal, Suheyl Polat

Senior Design Project For Engineers

Honeysuckle Biscuits and Bakery is a locally owned restaurant in Downtown Kennesaw, Georgia. Mitch and Lori Phillips, the owners, opened the restaurant in 2018. The restaurant serves breakfast (with biscuits as its specialty), lunch, coffee, desserts, and specialty cakes. As the business is beginning to outgrow itself, the project manager, Kaela Bellamy, felt it was a need to look at how to best accommodate the growing demand within the new space.

État Des Récentes Avancées En Matière De Développement De Sièges À Suspension, Subhash Rakheja, Pierre Marcotte, Karim Hamouda, Krishna Dewangan, Darshan Dorugade

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans divers secteurs d’activité du Québec, les conducteurs de véhicules sont exposés à des niveaux notables de vibrations globales du corps (VGC) et à des chocs intermittents, associés dans les deux cas à un risque accru de douleurs lombaires et de dégénérescence de la colonne vertébrale. Les sièges à suspension sont largement utilisés pour limiter l'exposition des conducteurs aux VGC. L’efficacité d'un siège à suspension à réduire les vibrations est fortement dépendante de la nature des vibrations du véhicule (amplitude, direction et fréquence). Un siège à suspension ne peut donc offrir une efficacité optimale que lorsque la suspension est mise …