ERGONOMIC RISK ASSESSMENT IN YOUTH’S MOBILE DEVICE USAGE: AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING APPROACH WITH OPTITRACK MOTION CAPTURE
M.L. Torres-Barreto, L.E. Bautista Rojas, O.E. Contreras Pacheco
This educational experience aimed to demonstrate the practical application of advanced ICT tools, specifically the OPTITRACK motion capture system and MOTIVE software, in identifying and assessing ergonomic risks. It involved third-year industrial engineering students enrolled in the Information Systems course, who directly explored how technology can address real-world health and safety challenges in digital environments. The experience emphasized integrating ergonomic principles and data analysis into the design of safe and efficient information systems while inspiring critical thinking and innovation in mitigating ergonomic risks.
Students were divided into six workgroups, each focusing on a specific methodological phase of the project:
- Digital Posture Image Collection: This group documented various student postures associated with mobile device usage through photography to create a visual database for ergonomic analysis.
- Literature Review: They identified prior ergonomic studies using tools like OPTITRACK to establish the research foundation.
- Calibration and Technical Setup: This group fine-tuned the OPTITRACK system in the university’s innovation lab to ensure precise motion capture.
- Software Operation: Students learned to use MOTIVE software for processing, analyzing, and visualizing motion data.
- Experimental Protocol Design: They developed a detailed protocol to ensure the experiment's coherence and replicability.
- Data Collection and Ergonomic Assessment: Participants used the OPTITRACK suit in controlled conditions, capturing precise postures and applying the REBA method to identify ergonomic risks.
Key Achievements:
Practical Application of ICT Tools: Students successfully utilized the OPTITRACK system to visualize ergonomic risks and applied data collection and processing techniques. This experience underscored the importance of collaborative efforts between students and professors to develop rigorous protocols and accurately identify risk-prone postures.
Integration of Ergonomic Principles in System Design:
Students gained insights into incorporating ergonomic principles into information system design. They understood how software, hardware, and human factors interact as a system and reflected on strategies to improve digital ergonomics while prioritizing user well-being.
Fostering Critical and Innovative Thinking:
Through hands-on experience, students critically evaluated and proposed innovative solutions to mitigate ergonomic risks. This demonstrated their capacity to apply learning to real-world problems, preparing them to tackle the challenges of the digital era responsibly and creatively.
The intervention successfully achieved its objectives, combining advanced ICT tools, ergonomics, and data analytics within industrial engineering. It provided students with technical and analytical skills while deepening their understanding of the importance of designing technologies that prioritize human health and well-being. This approach integrates practical and reflective experiences into engineering education, equipping future professionals to contribute meaningfully to technological and societal advancement.
Keywords: Ergonomics, Motion Capture, ICT Tools, Industrial Engineering, Digital Health.