TY - JOUR
T1 - Preliminary comparison of vibration measurement accuracy between a low cost, portable acceleration measurement unit and a gold-standard accelerometer system
AU - Pierson, Benjamin
AU - Faestel, Paul
AU - Spector, June T.
AU - Johnson, Peter
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Characterization of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) exposure is important for the development and evaluation of mitigation strategies for occupational WBV. However, barriers associated with cost and complexity limit widespread use of current gold-standard accelerometer (GSA) measurement systems. Small, simple, low cost Acceleration Measurement Unit (AMU) devices with built-in batteries and memory potentially allow for more efficient collection of WBV data, but the measurement accuracy of these devices need to be evaluated. Using known acceleration inputs generated by an accelerometer calibrator and field collected vibration profiles simulating real-world vibration exposures, the measurements of an AMU device and GSA system were compared. Analysis of accelerometer calibrator data showed no significant difference in weighted acceleration (Aw) measurements between the systems (mean difference −0.001 m/s2, p = 0.95). In field collected vibration profile testing, differences in Aw measurements were small (0.06 m/s2, 4.6%). These results suggest the AMU evaluated in this study may be acceptable for measuring occupational WBV.
AB - Characterization of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) exposure is important for the development and evaluation of mitigation strategies for occupational WBV. However, barriers associated with cost and complexity limit widespread use of current gold-standard accelerometer (GSA) measurement systems. Small, simple, low cost Acceleration Measurement Unit (AMU) devices with built-in batteries and memory potentially allow for more efficient collection of WBV data, but the measurement accuracy of these devices need to be evaluated. Using known acceleration inputs generated by an accelerometer calibrator and field collected vibration profiles simulating real-world vibration exposures, the measurements of an AMU device and GSA system were compared. Analysis of accelerometer calibrator data showed no significant difference in weighted acceleration (Aw) measurements between the systems (mean difference −0.001 m/s2, p = 0.95). In field collected vibration profile testing, differences in Aw measurements were small (0.06 m/s2, 4.6%). These results suggest the AMU evaluated in this study may be acceptable for measuring occupational WBV.
KW - Back pain
KW - Ergonomics tools and methods
KW - Military ergonomics
KW - Transportation ergonomics
KW - Whole-Body vibration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091638789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103268
DO - 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103268
M3 - Article
C2 - 32987260
AN - SCOPUS:85091638789
SN - 0003-6870
VL - 90
JO - Applied Ergonomics
JF - Applied Ergonomics
M1 - 103268
ER -