The ErgoPLUX application

The developed framework is built on standalone protocol sessions, having a high level of applicability and expansion in different work situations and in different economics sectors. This platform has a major strength of ease to use, flexibility, reliability and portability.

The platform enables the creation of profiles for workers, registering their basic information and anthropometric measures. Each worker may conduct a session of evaluation for a specific work position and the results are stored in a report for future inspection.

The ergonomist may then select the best protocol to evaluate the main tasks performed by that worker. The assessment is done by a collection of the worker's biosignals through sensors that are placed on his skin and connected to the bioPLUX device.

Worker's profile

The ErgoPLUX software enables the creation of profiles for workers, storing in a database all their information and also their anthropometric measures which could then be used to compare results between individuals. All the evaluations performed by the worker will also be stored in the database for future analysis.

Protocols

Muscular Load

The platform currently comprises one protocol of surface electromyography (sEMG) for a comparative analysis of the work performed and the muscular load demanded from it.

This protocol computes the muscular load estimation for up to 5 muscles at the same time, using the amplitude distribution density function (APDF). Our platform comprises a first step of measurement of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and after that, the cumulative histogram of the APDF is computed, and an estimation of the APDF profile is updated and displayed in real time, displaying the risk levels for the static, medium and peak loads.

Vibration

A vibration exposure protocol was also developed and concerns the workers which use vibrating tools (hand held or larger) frequently in their work activity as tools transmit intense vibrations that makes vulnerable the worker’s health. To measure the vibration to which the worker is submitted, the triaxial acceleration signals are weighted with frequency filters – as there are certain frequencies which are more harmful to health than others.

This protocol simulates the daily vibration exposure value given the total time of exposure, and presents it in real time during the session evaluation.

Reports

At the end of each evaluation session, a report is presented with the final graphics for each protocol, immediately providing feedback over the risk status of the worker.

All the evaluations are stored in the database of the worker, and therefore it is possible to analyze their evolution over time.

Other protocols

As the system is built based on a framework with standalone protocol sessions, it is possible to easily insert new protocols comprising different types of work activities, like a protocol for posture evaluation or measuring force applied in real time.

Statistics

A statistical feature will expand the capabilities of analysis with this software, as it will be visible the implications of a work activity for a team or work station as a whole, instead of an worker individually. The statistic tool will analyze the mean results of a group of workers for the protocols selected and will relate those results with the anthropometric measurements.