Advancing Occupational Medicine through Wearable Technology: A Review of Sensor Systems for Biomechanical Risk Assessment and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention

Abstract

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) remain a major occupational health concern globally, and the conventional techniques for assessing them suffer some drawbacks. Indeed, conventional observational techniques are faced with subjectivity and the absence of real-time quantitative data; these emphasize the need for improved biomechanical risk assessment tools. Wearable sensor technology, which is considered an improved assessment tool, has received considerable acceptance in the occupational health field for evaluating biomechanical risk and preventing WRMSDs, focusing on their essential features and workplace significance. However, studies that have documented wearable sensors for biomechanical risk assessment focus mainly on the established sensing mechanisms, while the emerging wearable sensors are still in their infancy. This work aims to offer a comprehensive review of existing sensing mechanisms for biomechanical risk assessments, highlighting both established and emerging technologies for the advancement of wearable sensor systems that minimize ergonomic risks. Additionally, it serves as a guide for future research in wearable sensing technology for biomechanical risk evaluation. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases, namely, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus; after the initial screening and removal of duplicates, 522 articles were identified, with 176 being included in the review. This Account discusses the working principles, applications, and limitations in occupational medicine, focusing on various types of wearable sensors, such as optoelectronics, soft wearable sensors, inertial sensors, pressure sensors, and electromyography (EMG) sensors. Moreover, this study offers an exhaustive classification of wearable sensors, emphasizing their development and incorporation into personal protective equipment (PPE). To improve ergonomic interventions and techniques for biomechanical risk assessment, this work promotes the incentive of quantifying ergonomic frameworks, real-time feedback systems, and standalone wearable devices. Our review also identifies key challenges, such as sensor placement, data processing, and worker acceptance, and proposes future directions for improving wearable sensor systems, including sensor fusion, miniaturization, and integration with PPE.

Keywords: biomechanical risk assessment; electromyography (EMG); ergonomics; inertial measurement units (IMUs); occupational health; personal protective equipment (PPE); wearable sensors; work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs).

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Quantitative Analysis of the Occupational Biomechanical Risk Assessment using wearable sensors.

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PRISMA flow diagram for the study selection process.

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(A)­(i) Schematic illustration of a flexible fiber optic sensor and (ii) the fiber optic sensor placed on the neck. Reproduced from ref . (iii) Representation of signals obtained from FBG sensor during flexion and extension evaluation. Available under a CC-BY 4.0 license. Copyright 2020 Presti et al. (B)­(i) Textile-based piezo capacitive sensor for awkward posture detection and (ii) using the textile-based sensor to evaluate good and bad posture during work activity. Reproduced from ref . Available under a CC-BY 4.0 license. Copyright 2022 Maksimović et al.

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(i–iv) Position of the IMU sensor mounted on the spine of the worker and the range of spinal motion during job duties and (v) sensor detection of the head, neck, and trunk during biomechanical evaluation. Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2017 Elsevier.

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(i) and (ii) Worker’s ergonomic activity monitored using a wearable pressure sensor (insole). (iii) and (iv) Data output and topographical representation of force exerted during kinetic assessment. Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2022 Elsevier. (B) (i) EMG configuration mounted on the erector spinae, (ii) EMG signals recorded from the pressure exertion on the muscle during kinetic analysis, and (iii) illustration of manual material handling activity evaluated. Reproduced from ref . Available under a CC-BY 4.0 license Copyright 2023 Donisi et al.

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Smart work wear PPE was used to evaluate biomechanical assessment in work settings.