Occupational Safety

XR Vest: A Novel System for Demonstration-Based Learning of Safety Skills, DOI: 10.1109/TLT.2023.3260760.

The trainings consisted of Feeder Protection Relay Training for Operators (FPR), Occupational Safety and Health Training for Electricians (OSH), and Transformer Oil Sampling in Virtual Reality (TOS). The training videos were either 1) interactively completed with object interactions in the 1st person’s viewpoint by the participant utilizing the Oculus HMD and controllers, 2) passively viewed as prerecorded videos from 1st person’s viewpoint by the participant using the computer monitor, or 3) passively viewed on the XR vest as 1st person viewpoint while the researcher simultaneously completed the training using the Oculus HMD and controllers, enabling a 3rd person viewpoint for the participant.

Computer Vision-based Assessment of Workers’ Repetitive Actions

Performing repetitive movements while working can result in unnatural positions and stress on the body, potentially leading to short-term and long-term injuries. Culinary professionals, who often engage in repetitive physical actions such as chopping, whisking, and reaching into ovens during food preparation, are the focus of this study. This research delves into various culinary tasks and utilizes joint angle data collected from participants. These data are then automatically processed and compared to the Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) manual tool to assess ergonomic risks. Notably, a strong correlation of over 95% was observed between manual and automated assessments, particularly in evaluating awkward postures within the ART-C categories. By considering the ART scores and overall joint movements, this study aims to develop improved techniques for enhancing posture, leading to more accurate predictions of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and prolonged careers in the field.