Total perceived discomfort function for upper limbs based on joint moment

Abstract

The aim of this study was to formulate a relationship between the total perceived discomfort of the upper limbs and the perceived discomforts of each degree of freedom (DOF). The biomechanical analysis was performed based on classifying the posture and load via rapid upper limb assessment (RULA). The summary scores of the RULA and the perceived discomforts of each DOF were the objective and explanatory variables, respectively. Four approximation models (average, maximum, hybrid, and radial basis function (RBF) network) were compared in terms of accuracy in predicting the total perceived discomfort. In conclusion, among the four models, the RBF network provided the highest accuracy, followed by the hybrid model.