Wearable Sensors and Machine Learning for the Assessment of Biomechanical Risk in Lifting Tasks

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Lifting loads can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established a methodology for assessing lifting actions by means of a quantitative method based on intensity, duration, frequency, and other geometrical characteristics of lifting. Body-worn inertial sensor technology provides a number of opportunities to advance the safety and health of workers engaged in physical work. Motion-tracking systems together with Machine learning (ML) algorithms are used in the ergonomic field for biomechanical risk assessment by means of data acquired by wearable inertial systems. The investigators posed the question whether it is possible to classify lifting tasks belonging to different risk classes according to the value of LI using a machine learning approach by means of features extracted from raw signals. Aim of this study was to develop and validate, through ML algorithms, a non-invasive detection system of kinetic-kinematic parameters using IMU and EMG sensors, for the ergonomic assessment of the risk associated with a load lifting activity.

Detailed Description
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The study envisages the voluntary enrollment of healthy subjects, referring to treatment clinics for work-related pathologies (excluding subjects aged <18 or > 65 years, and those with musculoskeletal pathologies or other disabling pathologies in progress), to carry out two repeated lifting tests. The two tests are set up to correspond respectively to the two NIOSH risk classes (LI<1, NO RISK; and LI>1, RISK). The IMU sensors provide wirelessly a series of data from which it is intended to extract a number of features (feature extraction) that have a high predictive power, through the digital signal processing technique using dedicated software (i.e. Matlab, SPSS). In a second step, data obtained from EMG sensors will be added to the analysis. Among the different artificial intelligence algorithms, the investigator will look for those most able to discriminate the various risk classes on the basis of the parameters extracted from the signals detected during the motor task.

Official Title
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Wearable Sensors and Machine Learning: a Technological Approach to Biomechanical Risk Assessment in Lifting Tasks

Conditions
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Wearable Devices

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: wearable device


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: healthy subjects Exclusion Criteria: subjects with musculoskeletal pathologies or other disabling pathologies in progress

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Device: wearable device|IMU sensors and EMG sensors|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Validation of the proposed strategy to assess the risk of lifting activities, according to RNLE | accuracy degree and AucRoc | first year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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inertial measurement units, Accelerometers, Ergonomics, Exposure assessment, Lifting, Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, Machine learning, Digital signal processing, Risk prediction