Original scientific paper

Ergonomic evaluation of task execution: Surface electromyography in muscular activity screening

ALEKSANDAR SUŠIĆ orcid.org/0000-0001-9502-9276 ; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, I. Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
TANJA JURČEVIĆ LULIĆ ; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, I. Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
FIKRET VELJOVIĆ ; Mechanical Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Vilsonovo 9, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Background and Purpose: In this study surface electromyography (sEMG) was used as stand alone acquisition tool in order to emphasize possibilities of sEMG utilization as a screening tool for ergonomic purposes. We presented comparison for task completion variations based on processed sEMG data, where sEMG was used as muscular activity screening tool with the objective to offer decision in the most convenient task variation. In this context, muscular activity screening used in this paper was based primarily on muscular
activity index and its transformations, where such datawere correlated with electrical energy induced by activated muscle groups.

Material and Methods: Analysis of two different approaches to the
fixed medical table and upper trunk alignment with table surface as the final target is performed for this purpose. SurfaceEMGsignals were recorded using an eight-channel fiber optic TELEMG system (BTS S.p.a.) sampling at a frequency of 1000 Hz for selected muscles of right body side alone, in order to maximize muscular activity overview. If set otherwise (for both body sides), 8 available channel electrodes reduced the number of monitored muscle groups to 4 for each body side, causing decreased comparability and objectivity of muscular activity screening.

Results and Conclusion: Finally, after benchmarking task routines,
Model 2 as routine approach was less demanding than Model 1, muscular activity index as equivalent to energy or work done over time in the monitored muscles was suitable for the purpose of muscular activity estimation, but should be expressed with consideration of muscular activity duration as muscle energy expenditure per time unit. Despite its imperfections, sEMG
may be exploited as stand alone and as complement to other available acquisition and analysis tools.

Keywords

ergonomic evaluation; muscular activity screening; surface EMG; human effort comparison

Hrčak ID:

52689

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/52689

Publication date:

31.3.2010.

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