Custom cover image
Custom cover image

VR-RET: A Virtual Reality–Based Approach for Real-Time Ergonomics Training on Industrialized Construction Tasks

By: Material type: ArticleArticleDescription: 1-18 pISSN:
  • 0733-9364
Subject(s): Online resources: In: ASCE: Journal of Construction Engineering and ManagementSummary: Real-time assessment of the ergonomic risks to which workers are exposed at a workstation and the provision of real-time corrective feedback intervention to workers play an essential role in improving safety in the workplace through the reduction of long-term exposure of workers to the ergonomically hazardous postures associated with physical fatigue and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This study proposes a framework, virtual reality–based real-time ergonomics training (VR-RET), that integrates virtual reality (VR) and an inertia motion capture system to rapidly assess postures, providing the following inputs in real time: (1) full-body postural ergonomic risk assessment that deploys existing rule-based methods such as rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and rapid entire body assessment (REBA); (2) auditory feedback, triggered when the exposure to ergonomic risks is higher than a predefined threshold; and (3) visual feedback intervention to correct ergonomically hazardous postures through the provision of recommendations during training on industrialized construction tasks. The proposed framework is verified through a pretest/posttest procedure in conjunction with a randomized control group experiment involving 37 subjects. Based on the comparison of the pretest and posttest data, a reduction of 35% in the percentage of time spent being subjected to ergonomic risks in the high-risk range is observed when training is administered using VR-RET and RULA is deployed as the risk assessment method; in contrast, a significant reduction is not observed when rapid entire body assessment is used. This study’s contributions are twofold: (1) a framework for providing ergonomic and operational training through VR simulation based on real-time acquisition and processing of body motion data (with the objective of mitigating worker behaviors that increase exposure to the ergonomically hazardous postures that can lead to a work-related musculoskeletal disorder); and (2) updated evaluation of the effectiveness of real-time RULA and REBA assessments integrated with real-time auditory and visual postural feedback intervention for ergonomic risk reduction.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Vol info Status Date due Barcode
Articles Articles Periodical Section Vol.149, No.10(Oct.2023) Available

Real-time assessment of the ergonomic risks to which workers are exposed at a workstation and the provision of real-time corrective feedback intervention to workers play an essential role in improving safety in the workplace through the reduction of long-term exposure of workers to the ergonomically hazardous postures associated with physical fatigue and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This study proposes a framework, virtual reality–based real-time ergonomics training (VR-RET), that integrates virtual reality (VR) and an inertia motion capture system to rapidly assess postures, providing the following inputs in real time: (1) full-body postural ergonomic risk assessment that deploys existing rule-based methods such as rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and rapid entire body assessment (REBA); (2) auditory feedback, triggered when the exposure to ergonomic risks is higher than a predefined threshold; and (3) visual feedback intervention to correct ergonomically hazardous postures through the provision of recommendations during training on industrialized construction tasks. The proposed framework is verified through a pretest/posttest procedure in conjunction with a randomized control group experiment involving 37 subjects. Based on the comparison of the pretest and posttest data, a reduction of 35% in the percentage of time spent being subjected to ergonomic risks in the high-risk range is observed when training is administered using VR-RET and RULA is deployed as the risk assessment method; in contrast, a significant reduction is not observed when rapid entire body assessment is used. This study’s contributions are twofold: (1) a framework for providing ergonomic and operational training through VR simulation based on real-time acquisition and processing of body motion data (with the objective of mitigating worker behaviors that increase exposure to the ergonomically hazardous postures that can lead to a work-related musculoskeletal disorder); and (2) updated evaluation of the effectiveness of real-time RULA and REBA assessments integrated with real-time auditory and visual postural feedback intervention for ergonomic risk reduction.