Background

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of sick leave and long-term incapacity in the EU. Despite some fluctuations in the figures (e.g., a downward trend during the Covid-19 pandemic), the numbers have not changed much over the last 30 years. This provides a rather pessimistic outlook and makes it very unlikely that the proportion of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) will decrease without any interventions. Demographic change further exacerbates the situation, as physical performance tends to decline with age. All this calls for a long-term and effective concept that allows for the expansion of health prevention and the creation of healthy working conditions for people of all ages .

Project Content

Researchers in the field of ergonomics analyse working conditions, identify health risk factors, and provide recommendations for improvement. The methodological tools they use include automated procedures, expert observations, and surveys. Surveys are relatively inexpensive and provide valuable insights into work processes. However, they have drawbacks, such as the need for a large number of participants and their reliance on subjective assessments. Skilled specialists, as a second option, utilize well-established evaluation procedures to assess work processes. On the downside, the procedures they use are more time-consuming than surveys. Also, despite employing a structured approach there is still a subjective component. In contrast, automated methods enable objective measurements through sensor usage; however, they require specialized equipment and expert knowledge for data processing. Together with the associated high costs, this impedes their widespread use. Given these factors alongside the imperative to enhance health prevention, there is a need for new, cost-effective solutions that provide reliable and robust results, while remaining readily accessible and easy to use for both professional personnel and patients alike.

Goals

Our goal with the Ergo4A project is to is to empower employees to assess their daily work processes on their own and make adjustments thereupon. For this, the Institute of Management Science (TU Wien) and St. Pölten UAS are developing a mobile app that not only imparts principles of ergonomics but also offers a straightforward method for evaluating and improving one's own work processes.

Methods

The app we intend to build is based on the most recent advances in image processing and artificial intelligence, and it employs algorithms to capture postures from video streams. It allows users to analyse their posture in real time, replay it, and save it for later use. To ensure that all aspects of workplace ergonomics are accurately assessed, users need to fill out a form. The form is based on existing ergonomic procedures and integrated into the app. Users can also input information on the frequency and duration of an activity, the weight of objects being handled, or environmental factors such as noise or temperature, thereby creating a rounded picture of their working conditions. Personal information is analysed directly on the phone, with no further processing in a computer system such as a cloud service.

New models capable of detecting poor posture and providing feedback using natural language, counterexamples, or meaningful visualizations are being developed. To promote awareness of the project's outcomes and the app among the target audiences (employees, businesses, multipliers, and ergonomics experts), several training workshops are held.

Results

Lower Austria needs to create better working conditions and reduce health problems caused by poor posture or unfavourable movement sequences. While conventional ergonomic methods have value and can lead to improvements, they are often too time-consuming, expensive, have a limited scope, or produce insufficiently accurate results. In this project, the Institute of Management Science (TU Wien) and St.Pölten UAS aim to overcome these problems by developing a simple and widely accessible mobile app that allows users to independently analyse their work processes. The app guides users towards a more ergonomic work flow and assists them in preventing musculoskeletal damage.

Funding