Biomechanical–based torque reconstruction of the human shoulder joint in industrial tasks

In this work we present a study for the experimental reconstruction of the human shoulder torque in the sagittal plane, since this is usually overloaded in industrial overhead tasks. To this end, we measure the three–dimensional motion of the human upper limb while performing selected movements using an optical motion capture system. Then, using a skeleton model implemented in one of the most common software for industrial ergonomic assessment, we reconstruct the shoulder angle and torque in the sagittal plane. A possible exploitation of this reconstruction strategy is presented for active compensation of this torque. The implementation of this simple strategy in a custom developed assistive device could augment human workers in performing repetitive jobs.