Application of virtual reality devices to the quantitative assessment of manual assembly forces in a factory environment

The paper describes a system which has been developed to meet an industrial requirement for performing in-situ quantitative measurements of manual forces and postures applied by human assembly line operators. Virtual reality devices are shown to offer a valuable means of meeting the necessary sensory requirements. A set of force transducers incorporated into a pair of Datacq gloves together with a force triggered image capturing facility all controlled by a PC compatible, comprise the main hardware elements of the basic system. Comprehensive software provides online and playback facilities, allowing nonmedical staff to assess the assembly process, including maximum forces applied and a measure of the effort or work done per assembly cycle. Invaluable physiological information is made available for post processing and further medical analysis as well as for database archiving purposes. The instrument is seen to have generic application for ergonomic design of manufacturing processes involving humans, in the quest to avoid repetitive health problems such as strain injury in the upper body. The system can also serve as a tool to monitor the design of new product types as well as setting ergonomically relevant quality targets for subcontractor supplied components.