• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.843-850
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• 2017

The EMG amplitude estimator, which has been investigated as an indicator of muscle force, is utilized as the control input to artificial prosthetic limbs. This paper describes an application of the optimal EMG amplitude estimator to the surface EMG signals recorded during constant isometric %MVC (maximum voluntary contraction) for 30 seconds and reports on assessing performance of the amplitude estimator from the application. Surface EMG signals, a total of 198 signals, were recorded from biceps brachii muscle over the range of 20-80%MVC isometric contraction. To examine the estimator performance, a SNR(signal-to-noise ratio) was computed from each amplitude estimate. The results of the study indicate that ARV(average rectified value) and RMS(root mean square) amplitude estimation with forth order whitening filter and 250[ms] moving average window length are optimal and showed the mean SNR improvement of about 50%, 40% and 20% for each 20%MVC, 50%MVC and 80%MVC surface EMG signals, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.69-74
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• 2011

Despite most of tasks in manufacturing, construction and agriculture, etc., were currently mechanized and automated, manual materials handling still existed in atypical working condition. In case of manual materials handling, repetitive work, inappropriate working posture, excessive force, contact stress might cause overload, which could lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and low back pains. On this basis, the goal of this study is to reveal the effects of various lifting postures of trunk angles and lower extremity postures on maximum holding time(MHT). Twenty two subjects were recruited from a university population. The experiment was designed by a combination of three trunk angle ($0^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$) and three lower extremity postures(straight, bent, kneeling). Before experimental trials, subjects performed MVC(maximum voluntary contraction) exertions in three trunk angles ($0^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$) to calculate 30%MVC at designated postures. In each trial, they were required to hold the handheld load(30%MVC) for a designated posture as long as they could. The results of MVC by trunk angles were measured in $0^{\circ}$ > $20^{\circ}$ > $60^{\circ}$ orders, but those of MHT measured in $20^{\circ}$ > $0^{\circ}$ > $60^{\circ}$ orders. These results showed that straight posture is the ideal working posture in work exerted a strong force for a short time, but the ability to work might be improved in the trunk angle $20^{\circ}$ in work required 30%MVC for a long time. Also, results of MVC and MHT by lower extremity postures measured in straight > bent > kneeling orders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.96-100
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• 2012

Low back pain (LBP) is a major issue in modern industrialized society which is mainly caused by manual material handling (MMH) tasks. The objective of this study was to provide scientific data for establishing work standard for Korean workers throughout the laboratory experiment including some specific lifting tasks. Thirty male college students were recruited as participants. The maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), recommended weight limit (RWL), and psychophysical safety weight using Borg's CR-10 scale were studied. Results showed that the RWL was 8.4% MVC higher than the proposed psychophysical safety weight. Based on this result, it is suggested that the NIOSH lifting equation (NLE) should not be directly applied to Korean without reasonable modifications. The ratio of psychophysical safety weight to MVC was ranged from 20.1 to 26.4%. It is expected that use of the methodology in this study may provide better expectation of the work ability of Korean for reducing lower back pains caused by MMH.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.394-398
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• 1994

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of vibration frequency and muscle contraction level at constant vibration displacement amplitudes on a commonly observed motor response elicited by local vibratory stimulation, i.e., the Tonic Vibration Reflex (TVR). Vibration was applied to the distal tendons of the hand flexor muscles. Changes in activity of the hand flexor and extensor muscles were analyzed as a function of the vibration frequency (40-200 Hz), displacement amplitude(200.mu.m and 300.mu.m peak-to-peak), and the initial contraction level of the flexor muscles (0%, 10%, and 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction: MVC). The main results indicate that the TVR increases with vibration frequency up to 100-150 Hz and decreases beyond, and the TVR attains its maximum at 10% MVC. It appears that high frequency vibration tends to induce less muscle/tendon stress. Such a result is of particular importance for the design of handheld vibrating tools.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.266-273
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• 1999

The maximum work capacity at various shoulder angles was estimated in terms of joint moment through maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) measurement, and the result was compared to workload computed from 3-D static lifting model (3DSSPP) based upon national institute of safety and health (NIOSH) lifting guideline (1991). The electromyography (EMG) of anterior/posterior deltoid and trapezius muscle was also recorded to study the function of individual muscle during asymmetric shoulder lifting. Psychophysical workload was measured to observe the difference from MVC or biomechanical estimation. An apparatus was constructed for the study and twenty five trials including five flexion angles and five add/abduction angles were performed isometrically. Results indicated that MVC at 30 degree of flexion was the strongest whereas MVC at 120 degree was the weakest. In case of add/abduction, MVC decreased to 77 to 89 % during add/abduction compared to the MVC at neutral position. Regarding the normalized EMG value, a substantial increase was observed at 30 and 60 degree abduction. More importantly, the shoulder moment computed from maximum permissible limit (MPL) was greater than the moment at MVC condition during 30 degree adduction. Current result can be used as a reference information for a safe workplace design to prevent the shoulder from an excessive work load in industry.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.57-69
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• 2003

This study was performed to investigate the isometric endurance time as percentages of maximum voluntary contraction. Electromyogram(EMG) and Borg's CR-I0 value were measured by push-pull-up-down tasks for 10 healthy males. The normalized EMG value and the MPF(mean power frequency) were used to estimate the muscle recruitment pattern and the development of muscle fatigue. The subjects exerted and maintained 5 levels of %MVC(maximum voluntary contraction) in $90^{\circ}$ shoulder flexion/ 180oelbow extension at sitting posture. The up-task showed the lower endurance time and higher Borg's CR-I0 value than the other task types. Comparing Rohmert's curve with the endurance time of task types. Rohmert's curve overestimated the endurance time of up-task and underestimated the endurance time of push-pull-down tasks. The normalized EMG value showed that muscles recruitment patterns were different from task types. The 4 muscles(biceps brachii muscle, tricep brachii muscle. middle deltoid muscle. trapezius muscle) recruitment patterns of up-task were higher than those of other tasks. The MPF value decreased with the endurance time, and the shift of MPF at up-task was larger than that of the other task types.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2014

Low back pain is one of major issues in musculoskeletal diseases mainly caused by MMH (Manual Material Handling) tasks. In Korea, the standards of NIOSH(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Lift Equations in U. S. A. have been most widely used. However, there is no standard in case the height of one feet is higher than that of another one. Moreover, since the standards are developed in U. S. A., there are many limitations for the applicability of Korean workers. In this study, MVC(Maximum Voluntary Contraction) for four postures are measured and an empirical model based on SVR(Support Vector Regression) is constructed. Constructing SVR model, PSO(Particle Swarm Optimization) is employed to investigate the optimal parameters of SVR. The results show that the performance of this empirical model is approximately accurate, even if the deviation of experimental values is large due to the individual differences. This empirical model may contribute to establish the standards of MMH tasks in Korea.

• Journal of the military operations research society of Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.77-98
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• 1982

Experiments have been performed for estimating the individual muscle capabilities of the biceps brachii and the quadriceps femoris muscle. The surface EMG has been recorded on the bellies of the biceps brachii and the quadriceps femoris muscle during isometric contractions at $50\%,\;75\%,\;and\;100\%$ MVC. The rectified EMG amplitudes of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) were in the range of $2.8\~3.0\;mV\;and\;6.9\~7.2\;mV$ the biceps brachii and the quadriceps femoris, respectively. In the biceps brachii, Type S motor units were recruited in the range of $41\~49\%$ MVC; and Type F motor units were recruited in the range of $51\~59\%$ MVC, In the quadriceps femoris, Type S, Type SF, and Type F motor units were recruited in the ranges of $31\~38\%,\;33\~48\%$, and $21\~29\%$ MVC respectively.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2015

Endurance time is very important indicator to estimate muscle fatigue. In the case of measuring endurance time directly, it is dangerous for subject to perform a test until the point of failure to main time force. Therefore, this paper presents the model to estimate endirance time using indirect measurements such as personal factors and anthropometrical data. Previous studies had shown that personal factors such as gender and age were not related to endurance time, but recently studies have shown that it is estimated by using independent variable or predictor such as GTA (Gravitational Torque of the horizontal, stretched arm) and MVC (Maximum Voluntary Contraction). The present study investigated variables to estimate endurance time using personal factors and anthrometrical data during isotonic contractions. Twenty five healthy subject volunteered for this study, and performed three test sessions of isotonic contraction exercises at 10~50% respectively. Afterward the correlation coefficient and p-values were compared among regression models using personal factors and anthropometrical data. The results demonstrated that multi-regression model had significant coefficient of correlation, and was useful estimate endurance time.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2011

Lifting capacity and difficulty of task are influenced by body posture. In RULA and REBA, the body was divided into segments which formed two groups, A and B. Group A includes the upper and lower arm and wrist while group B includes the neck, trunk and legs. This ensures that whole body posture is recorded so that any awkward or constrained posture of the legs, trunk or neck which might influence the posture of the upper limb. This study aimed to measure MVC (maximum voluntary contraction) and subjective judgment in psychophysical method (Borg's scale) according to trunk and upper arm angle and to analyze results statistically. The results of this study were that lifting capacity was more influenced by interaction of body posture rather than angles of each part, and MVC variation according to trunk and upper arms angles should different patterns. This means that we consider the interaction of trunk angles and upper arm angles when we access risk factors of the postures. This survey would be also the basic data to evaluate difficulty of lifting tasks according to body postures ergonomically.