# US 10,869,632 B2 · System and method for ergonomic analysis, in particular of a worker

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- Number: US 10,869,632 B2
- Document ID: US10869632B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/254,708
- Filed: 2019-01-23
- Published: 2019-09-26
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-24
- Assignees: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
- Applicants: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
- Inventors: Massimo Di Pardo; Giorgio Pasquettaz; Rossella Monferino; Francesca Gallo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10869632B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/014: {Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves}
- A41D 19/001: {Linings}
- A41D 19/0027: {Measuring instruments, e.g. watch, thermometer}
- A61B 5/0024: {for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network}
- A61B 5/0077: {Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens}
- A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions}
- A61B 5/1122: {of movement trajectories}
- A61B 5/1125: {Grasping motions of hands}
- A61B 5/1128: {using image analysis (A61B5/1127 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/22: Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow
- A61B 5/225: {of the fingers, e.g. by monitoring hand-grip force}
- A61B 5/4561: {Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature (A61B5/1116 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/6806: {Gloves}
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06Q 10/06398: {Performance of employee with respect to a job function}
- G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text
- G16H 20/30: relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- A41D 2600/20: for working activities
- A61B 5/1071: {measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers (A61B5/1123 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2503/20: Workers
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors
- A61B 2562/04: Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
- A61B 2562/066: in a matrix array
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Described herein is a system and method for ergonomic analysis including a sensorized glove having an inner glove including a plurality of extensometer sensors for detecting relative movements between parts of a worker's hand, and an outer glove including a plurality of pressure sensors distributed over a palmar surface and for detecting pressure exerted in corresponding areas of said palmar surface; a wearable network of sensors being located in the network so that they can be associated to corresponding joints of the human body; a unit for generating a sequence of images of a worker task; and a processing unit for receiving data and/or signals from the sensorized glove, from the wearable sensor network, and/or from the unit, and configured for processing said data and/or signals to estimate ergonomic indicators and/or to obtain local information of effort and/or posture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for ergonomic analysis including:
a sensorized glove, said sensorized glove comprising an inner glove, which includes a plurality of extensometer sensors configured for detecting relative movements between parts of a worker's hand of a human body, and
an outer glove, which includes a plurality of pressure sensors distributed over an outer glove palmar surface and configured for detecting pressure exerted in corresponding areas of said outer glove palmar surface;
a wearable network of sensors being located in a network so that they can be associated to corresponding joints of the human body;
a system for generating a sequence of images of a task performed by the worker; and
a processing unit configured for receiving data and/or signals from the sensorized glove, and/or from the wearable network of sensors, and/or from the system for generating a sequence of images, and configured for processing said data and/or signals in order to estimate ergonomic indicators, and/or to obtain local information of effort and/or posture.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein said system for generating a sequence of images comprises one or more cameras configured for acquisition of a video of the worker within a working area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein said system for generating a sequence of images comprises an Immersive Virtual Reality system where an environment corresponds to a CAD model of a workstation of the worker.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein in said sensorized glove said inner glove includes an inner glove dorsal surface and an inner glove palmar surface, and comprises:
a first plurality of pockets, housed within which are corresponding linear extensometers; and
a second plurality of pockets, which are substantially U-shaped and house corresponding linear extensometers configured for detecting relative movements of parts of the hand in a palmar plane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein said outer glove includes an outer glove dorsal surface and the outer glove palmar surface and comprises a third plurality of pockets on said outer glove palmar surface configured for housing a corresponding pressure sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein each pressure sensor is part of a pressure sensor network with a layout such as to enable application of individual sensors in predetermined areas of the hand.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of extensometer sensors and said plurality of pressure sensors have at least partially overlapping areas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method for ergonomic analysis of a worker by the system according to claim 1, comprising:
acquiring a sequence of images of a task performed by the worker by said system for generating the sequence of images;
acquiring a first set of postural data from said sensorized glove;
acquiring a second set of postural data from said wearable sensor network; and
determining one or more ergonomic indicators on a basis of said first set of data, said second set of data, and said sequence of images.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein acquiring a first set of postural data from said sensorized glove comprises:
receiving first sensor data from said plurality of extensometer sensors of said inner glove;
associating said first sensor data to a vector map of the hand, which comprises a plurality of nodes associated to corresponding joints of the hand, and a plurality of segments that join said nodes to one another, wherein one or more extensometer sensors associated to a node of the plurality of nodes are configured for detecting a relative angular position between a pair of segments connected to said node, each first sensor datum comprising a relative angular position between the pair of segments connected to the corresponding node;
receiving second sensor data from said plurality of pressure sensors of said outer glove, each second sensor datum comprising information of pressure detected along an area of the corresponding pressure sensor;
determining, for each pressure sensor of said outer glove, a position of a point of application of a resultant force, which is a function of the corresponding second sensor datum, with respect to the nodes of said vector map; and
determining, on the basis of the first sensor data in combination with the second sensor data, a type of grasp exerted by the hand.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein said determination of a type of grasp exerted by the hand includes:
defining a pressure map, which comprises a plurality of map areas associated to corresponding pressure sensors of said outer glove, each map area being an array of sensitive elements having a respective area of influence, each sensitive element being associated to information representing a pressure value detected on a homologous area of influence on the corresponding pressure sensor;
defining involvement thresholds for each map area, wherein each involvement threshold is representative of a different type of grasp;
recording the information supplied by the sensitive elements of each map area and comparing it with the involvement thresholds that can be applied for the different types of grasp; and
determining the type of grasp on a basis of an outcome of the comparison between the information supplied by the sensitive elements of each map area and the involvement thresholds that can be applied for the different types of grasp.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, further including carrying out a check on the determination of the type of grasp by comparing the type of grasp determined with postural information determined on a basis of said first sensor data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein said wearable sensor network comprises inertial sensors located on corresponding parts of the body of the worker, said parts of the body of the worker having a correspondence with a reference scheme of a human skeleton, said reference scheme including segment elements for definition of bones of the human skeleton connected by joint elements for definition of joints of the human skeleton,
the inertial sensors being arranged in points representative of a respective segment element.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein acquiring a second set of postural data from said wearable sensor network comprises acquiring the trajectories, postures, and angles of rotation of each segment element and joint element of said reference scheme during performance of the task.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the joint elements are point-like elements.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein acquiring a sequence of images comprises, in combination or as an alternative to one another:
acquiring a video of the worker at a workstation; and
generating a video by interaction of a reference worker with a virtual workstation in a virtual-reality system.