Occupational
Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory
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Sponsor: 3M Company This project will test and evaluate a material developed by 3M Company for use on handles and other applications intended to enhance grip and manual handling. A series of studies will be conducted in our laboratory to evaluate applications of the material for ergonomics and rehabilitation. Measures include grip force, localized muscle fatigue, and task performance. A final report will be written and delivered at the completion of this project. Our laboratory has developed a strain gage handgrip dynamometer that is insensitive to point of contact and therefore capable of registering forces summed across the entire hand. It operates on the principle of shear strain and is fully described in Radwin, et al. (1991). This dynamometer can be attached to objects and equipment, such as hand tools, for measuring grip force. This dynamometer will be used for directly measuring hand grip and pinch forces when it is applicable since it provides the greatest level of accuracy and precision. When it is not possible to use this instrument, electromyography (EMG) will be used. Localized muscle fatigue in the upper limbs will be assessed using cross-modality matching on a visual analog scale and using surface EMG. Surface EMG will reveal RMS amplitude increases and shifts in the mean frequency of the EMG power spectrum. EMG surface electrodes will be attached to the forearm muscles and amplified, digitized and stored using a microcomputer.
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