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Musculoskeletal modeling of manual materials handling in the Danish supermarket sector

Every third Danish worker performs manual lifting as part of their daily work tasks, which is a well-known risk factor for the development of back pain. However, existing ergonomic methods for assessing the load on the back during lifting are predominantly based on static or quasi-static biomechanical models, which underestimate the load considerably compared with dynamic models. As a result of decades of research as well as technological developments, it is now possible to use anatomically detailed musculoskeletal models for dynamic analyses of manual lifting tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to extensively analyze the load on the back for a wide range of lifting tasks in the Danish supermarket sector based on state-of-the-art methods for motion analysis and musculoskeletal modeling. This approach will provide new insight into the internal load on the body during common lifting tasks and be an important step towards preventing work-related back disorders in the future.


Your presenter is Sebastian Laigaard Skals, Ph.D. student at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment  / Aalborg University. Sebastian will present his study twice 28 July.

Sign up here for the 9 AM CEST presentation or the 5 PM CEST presentation.

  

Conferences and Courses

  • POSTPONED due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Musculoskeletal Modeling by Multibody Dynamics course at Aalborg University, Denmark. More info here (Click the course title to register)

    Press release

    Health app for wheelchair users

    A new app will motivate wheelchair users to exercise and make it possible to track the result. The app is being developed by the company AnyBody Technology A/S in cooperation with Bevica Fonden, fitness instructor and wheelchair user Cathrine Gulberg – and a number of other experts. The project takes off in September 2018. The first test version is expected ready at the end of 2020.

    How can you count ”steps” as a wheelchair user and achieve the recommended 10000 steps a day? How can you set goals for your exercise and track the result? These are the exact questions the development of the MoveChair health app revolved around.

    The ambition is to develop an app that will motivate wheelchair users to exercise and enable tracking of the result - exactly as you would with other health apps – and then again not quite. You cannot count steps or track your running distance, you can however, track the development of muscle strength, metabolism and the distance driven in a manual wheelchair.

    The plan is also for the app to motivate people to do exercises focussing on strenght and cardio training. And there is a need for new initiatives to support physical activity, says Thorkild Olesen, chairman of Danske Handicaporganisationer (the Danish disability organization):

    People with disabilities need an active and healthy lifestyle like everyone else. Regrettably, surveys show that people with disabilities are more prone to lifestyle diseases and are generally more overweight. This is why the development of health promoting initiatives is important, so that disabled people can lead healthy lives.

    Cathrine Guldberg, fitness instructor and wheelchair user, is looking forward to contributing to the project as a member of the sounding board.

    ”I have lacked inspiration to train and have had to come up with my own excercises and training programs, so motivation is important. Another motivating factor is to set goals for yourself and actually track the results. I miss that today.”

    Further information

    AnyBody Technology A/S, tel. +45 9635 4286, sales@anybodytech.com

    Bevica Fonden, tel. +45 5060 0660

    About AnyBody Technology A/S

    AnyBody Technology A/S is a spin-off from Aalborg University and was founded in 2002. From day one, the company has been developing software for analysis and simulation of the human musculoskeletal system. The company’s products are used world wide in industries such as orthopedics, rehabilitation, sports, aerospace and defense.

    www.anybodytech.com