ErgoTac: A Tactile Feedback Interface for Improving Human Ergonomics in Workplaces

In this letter, we present a novel wearable feedback interface with the aim to improve human ergonomics in the execution of heavy or repetitive industrial tasks. The proposed interface incorporates a reduced-complexity and real-time model for the estimation of human joints' load variations, based on the estimated translational displacement of the center of pressure in the presence of external forces and loads. Wireless vibrotactile displays are then developed to inform humans about excessive overloading of body joints by applying appropriate tactile stimuli, and to guide them towards more ergonomic and suitable physical loading conditions. We validated our framework by a user study during which the subjects while performing a heavy object lifting task, reconfigured the body pose to minimize the overloading efforts. This was achieved by following the vibrotactile feedback guidance, provided by wearable tactile devices. Experimental results include a statistical analysis of ten subjects that demonstrate the potential of the proposed method in assisting human workers. The integration of such wearable devices in working environments can contribute to the improvement of human ergonomics, due to the monitoring and reduction of physical overloadings.