Automated Industrial Ergonomics Root-Cause Detection From Worker Video

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing workplace ergonomics risk assessments are time-consuming and incomplete due to the reliance on human experts and traditional methods, lacking the ability to automatically identify root causes of musculoskeletal disorders and provide effective risk control actions.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based system using computer vision and machine learning to analyze video recordings of workers, determining joint locations, calculating risk scores, and identifying ergonomic risk root-causes, with recommendations for mitigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If human experts conduct ergonomics risk assessments using questionnaires and observations, then the assessment can be performed with existing tools, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of ergonomics risk assessmentVSAvoidtime for risk assessment process

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of human experts conducting observations and administering questionnaires with an automated computer vision system. The system uses video cameras to capture worker movements and postures, then processes this visual data through image processing algorithms to automatically assess ergonomic risks, eliminating the time-consuming manual assessment process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by allowing the ergonomics assessment to be performed autonomously without requiring human experts to be physically present at the workplace. The automated system independently captures, processes, and analyzes ergonomic data, providing risk assessments that would traditionally require expert intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If traditional assessment tools are used, then the assessment can be conducted with available resources, but the root causes of ergonomics risks cannot be adequately identified

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of root cause identificationVSAvoidcomplexity of assessment system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ergonomics assessment into distinct analytical components: capturing video data, processing images to identify postures, analyzing joint angles and movements, evaluating risk categories, and determining root causes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide comprehensive root cause identification with high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from traditional two-dimensional questionnaire and observation methods to three-dimensional video-based analysis. By capturing workers in their natural environmental context through video cameras and analyzing spatial relationships, joint angles, and movements in multiple dimensions, the system achieves superior root cause identification capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If employers rely on subject matter experts for risk assessment, then the assessment can be performed, but the process becomes time-consuming from dispatching to report generation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproductivity of risk assessment processVSAvoidtime from dispatch to report

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables continuous operation by capturing ergonomic data throughout the workday without interruption. Video cameras continuously monitor workers, and the system processes data in real-time or near-real-time, eliminating the discontinuous nature of expert dispatch and report generation cycles. This continuous data collection and analysis significantly improves productivity while reducing overall assessment time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS12380392B1Automated industrial ergonomics risk root cause identification and management

Publication Date: 2025.08.05 VELOCITYEHS HOLDINGS INC

AI summary

A system for identifying industrial ergonomics risk root-causes and providing risk control actions, comprising: a computing device configured to obtain video signals of a worker performing a job at a workplace; and a computing server system configured to receive and process the video signals to determine joint locations of the worker, calculate joint angles for each body region of the worker based on the joint locations, calculate, based on the joint angles, a risk score for each body region of the worker in a plurality of risk categories, calculate a risk rating for each body region of the worker based on the risk score, determine ergonomic risk root-causes for each body region of the worker based on the risk rating, and provide ergonomic risk control recommendations to mitigate the ergonomic risk root-causes.