Different approaches of conducting ergonomic assessment utilizing digital human models and motion capture in industrial site assembly

Abstract

The further development of Industry 4.0 to 5.0 focuses even more on human-centred and sustainable production. The ergonomic factor plays a major role, as it is crucial for the well-being and productivity of workers and should already be considered in production planning. One of the most common ergonomic analysis methods is the “Ergonomic As-sessment Worksheet (EAWS)”, which is based on a paper & paper method for assessing human working posture. Currently, there are various approaches to automate this evalua-tion process with the help of digital human models or motion capture systems. All of these methods have their pros and cons; however, companies are faced with the problem of finding the best suited method for their processes. This paper compares three different methods to conduct an EAWS study for industrial site assembly in terms of methodology, effort, and efficiency. For this purpose, an evaluation of the physical movement with the original manual paper and pencil method was created and a generic movement with a digital human model was implemented and automatically evaluated. Furthermore, using motion capture, the automatic recording of physical movement data was carried out, which was computer-assisted evaluated using digital human models. To exclude software-specific inconsistencies, we used two different process simulation tools. As a final result, this paper shows a comparison of different implementation possibilities of the EAWS anal-yses and indicates the effort and efficiency for their use in industry. Furthermore, this initial analysis provides an opportunity for further research on digital human models and motion capture.