Patent ID: 8149126

Claim:
A system for monitoring the lifting behavior of a subject comprising: a wearable trunk sensor to be worn by the subject for measuring movement of a trunk of the subject and for outputting trunk sensor data indicative of measured trunk movement; a wearable thigh sensor to be worn by the subject for measuring movement of a thigh of the subject and for outputting thigh sensor data indicative of measured thigh movement; a computing device in communication with the trunk sensor and the thigh sensor configured for: receiving the output trunk sensor data; receiving the output thigh sensor data; determining a trunk angle based on the received trunk sensor data; determining a thigh angle based on the received thigh sensor data; classifying subject movements as corresponding to one or more predetermined lifting strategies based on the determined trunk angle and thigh angle; calculating a lift risk level associated with subject movements based on the determined trunk angle and thigh angles; and outputting feedback indicative of at least one of i) a determination that the subject is employing an unsafe lifting strategy and ii) an incidence of a high-risk movement.