# The State of the Art of Biomechanics Applied in Ergonomic Furniture Design
## 2 Research Methodology  
In this study, the keyword analysis function of VOSviewer software (version 1.6.18) was used to summarize and analyze the literature on biomechanics applied in furniture design from 2005 to 2023. The main procedure of literature collection was as follows: (1) we retrieved the literature in the Web of Science database and ResearchGate first using the keywords of furniture and biomechanics; (2) we read the abstracts and keywords of all the literature to filter out those not directly related to the topic of this study; and (3) finally, we obtained 190 pieces of studies as sources, including the total number of resulting publications, countries of publication, relationships between countries, and hot keywords, which were input into VOSviewer bibliometric software for further analysis. The distribution of the publication times, main authors and institutions, research hot topics, and development trends of the related literature were analyzed by means of knowledge mapping visualization, to provide references for subsequent research [17]. The main hot topics in biomechanics research were generally outlined by identification through the creation of a keyword co-occurrence network. Figure 2 shows the knowledge domain map of the keyword co-occurrence network drawn by the VOSviewer with different clusters. Colors in the figure correspond to different clustering methods, while the size of each circle indicates the frequency of the keyword, and the connecting lines represent the co-occurrence relationships between keywords [18; 19]. Figure 2: Keyword co-occurrence network knowledge domain map. In Cluster #1 (red), biomechanics is the dominant node, primarily associated with modeling, kinematics, multi-modeling, simulation, LifeMOD, OpenSim, mathematical modeling, wheelchair and gait analysis, and other related fields. This cluster's focus is on biomechanical modeling and simulation, encompassing mechanical research methods and related computer simulation software. In Cluster #2 (green), comfort is the dominant node, primarily associated with seating position, various seats, sleep quality, ergonomics, and pressure distribution. This cluster emphasizes the current main application directions of biomechanics and research on the comfort of various furniture. In Cluster #3 (blue), the largest node is the AnyBody Modeling System (AMS), which primarily relates to furniture design, ergonomics, furniture ergonomics, and seating furniture. This cluster is focused on applying biomechanical knowledge applied in the field of furniture design, particularly from an ergonomic perspective. Additionally, it demonstrates that AMS is the prevalent computer simulation software used in furniture design. In Cluster #4 (yellow), the largest node pertains to chairs, furniture design, ergonomics, pressure distribution, electromyography (EMG), and sit-to-stand movement, as well as anthropometry. This cluster underscores the biomechanical approaches that are frequently employed in designing chairs, such as body pressure distribution and EMG, as well as those in chair design, including sit-to-stand movement. The primary components of recent biomechanics research in furniture design include simulation software, furniture design, experimental research, and motion mechanics analysis. These were identified through a thorough analysis of the most current research areas in furniture biomechanics in combination with a literature review. Figure 3 depicts the co-occurring trends in keyword research based on VOSviewer and distinguishes different years through color-coding. This study mainly covers two aspects of research, \"hot topics\" and \"research trends\". Prior to 2012, earlier biomechanical research primarily relied on body pressure distribution experiments, electromyography, and other methods to conduct research. Since 2014, computer-aided ergonomics, specifically the use of FEM research methods, has matured. Common biomechanical analysis software includes AMS, LifeMOD and OpenSim.