Systems and methods for monitoring workplace activities

Abstract

A system includes a wearable sensor device including an accelerometer configured to be worn by a person and to record sensor data during an activity performed by the person; an analysis element configured to receive the sensor data from the wearable sensor, determine sensor orientation data of the wearable sensor during the activity based on the sensor data, translate the sensor orientation data of the wearable sensor to person orientation data of the person during the activity, determine, for the person during the activity, (a) a lift rate, (b) a maximum sagittal flexion, (c) an average twist velocity, (d) a maximum moment, and (e) a maximum lateral velocity, and determine a score representative of an injury risk to the person during the activity based on such data; and a tangible feedback element configured to provide at least one tangible feedback based on the score so as to reduce the injury risk.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a wearable sensor device including at least one of (a) an accelerometer, (b) a gyroscope, or (c) a magnetometer, the wearable sensor device being configured to be worn by a person and to record sensor data during an activity performed by the person,
 wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of (a) accelerometer data measured by the accelerometer during the activity, (b) gyroscope data measured by the gyroscope during the activity, or (c) magnetometer data measured by the magnetometer during the activity; and 
   an analysis element configured to:
 receive the sensor data from the wearable sensor device, 
 determine sensor device orientation data of the wearable sensor device during the activity based on the sensor data,
 wherein the sensor device orientation data includes at least (a) yaw data of the wearable sensor, (b) pitch data of the wearable sensor, and (c) roll data of the wearable sensor, 
 
 translate the sensor device orientation data of the wearable sensor device to person orientation data of the person during the activity,
 wherein the person orientation data includes at least (a) yaw data of the person, (b) pitch data of the person, and (c) roll data of the person, 
 
 determine, for the person during the activity, at least one of (a) a lift rate, (b) a maximum sagittal flexion, (c) an average twist velocity, (d) a maximum moment, or (e) a maximum lateral velocity based on at least (a) the yaw data of the person, (b) the pitch data of the person, and (c) the roll data of the person, 
 determine a score representative of an injury risk to the person during the activity based at least on the at least one of (a) the lift rate, (b) the maximum sagittal flexion, (c) the average twist velocity, (d) the maximum moment, or (e) the maximum lateral velocity, and 
 categorize the person into at least one group based at least on the score. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the score is either a risk score that is configured to increase as the injury risk increases or a safety score that is configured to decrease as the injury risk increases. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the determining, for the person during the activity, the at least one of (a) the lift rate, (b) the maximum sagittal flexion, (c) the average twist velocity, (d) the maximum moment, or (e) the maximum lateral velocity is further based on body geometry. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the body geometry is body geometry of the person. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the body geometry is predetermined. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the wearable sensor device includes an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the wearable sensor device includes a mobile phone. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the step of categorizing the person into the at least one group based at least on the score is further based on a role. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the step of categorizing the person into the at least one group based at least on the score is further based on a shift. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the step of categorizing the person into the at least one group based at least on the score is further based on a historical score. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a tangible feedback element configured to provide at least one tangible feedback based on the score so as to reduce the injury risk,   wherein the at least one tangible feedback comprising at least one of (a) at least one haptic feedback, (b) at least one audible feedback, (c) at least one visible feedback, (d) at least one physical item to assist the person to perform the activity, or (e) at least one instruction to assist the person to perform the activity.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the tangible feedback element is integrated with the wearable sensor device. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the tangible feedback element includes at least one of (a) at least one vibration motor configured to provide the at least one haptic feedback, (b) at least one speaker configured to provide the at least one audible feedback, (c) at least one display configured to provide the at least one visible feedback, (or) (d) at least one indicator light configured to provide the at last one visible feedback. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the tangible feedback element is configured to provide tangible feedback when the injury risk to the person exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the physical item includes at least one of an ergoskeleton, eye protection, ear protection, respiratory protection, foot protection, and hazardous materials protection, temperature protection, or fall protection. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one instruction to assist the person to perform the activity includes training to perform the activity. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one instruction to assist the person to perform the activity includes a scheduling change. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a plurality of further wearable sensor devices configured to be worn by a plurality of further persons and to record sensor data during an activity performed by the further persons,
 wherein each of the plurality of further wearable sensor devices comprises at least one of (a) an accelerometer, (b) a gyroscope, or (c) a magnetometer, and 
 wherein the sensor data recorded by each of the further wearable sensor units comprises at least one of (a) accelerometer data recorded by the accelerometer of the one of the further wearable sensor units, (b) gyroscope data recorded by the gyroscope of the one of the further wearable sensor units, or (c) magnetometer data recorded by the magnetometer of the one of the further wearable sensor devices, 
   wherein the analysis element is further configured to:
 receive the sensor data from each of the plurality of further wearable sensor devices, determine sensor device orientation data of each of the plurality of further wearable sensor devices during the activity based on the sensor data received from each of the plurality of further wearable sensor devices, 
 translate the sensor orientation data of each of the plurality of further wearable sensor devices to person orientation data of each of the plurality of further persons during the activity, 
 determine, for each the further plurality of persons during the activity, at least one of (a) a lift rate, (b) a maximum sagittal flexion, (c) an average twist velocity, (d) a maximum moment, and (e) a maximum lateral velocity, and 
 determine a further plurality of scores, each of which is representative of an injury risk to one of the further plurality of persons. 
   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the analysis element is further configured to determine an aggregate score for at least some of the further plurality of persons. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the at least some of the further plurality of persons are selected based on one of a job role, a full-time status, a duration of employment, a shift assignment, an injury history, a work location, a worker characteristic, a time of day, or a manual selection.