The brick industry in India is highly labour-intensive employing about 15 million workers, and is... more The brick industry in India is highly labour-intensive employing about 15 million workers, and is characterized by the use of manual labour, primitive and age-old technology. Mud transfer is a sub-activity among the brick-moulding activity. During mud transfer, workers handled 7000 kg (350 kg*20 trip) load every day beside their main brick-moulding activity. During the unloading of the mud, they put both the hands above shoulder level and at the same time they need to pull the trolley to back and make an aisle of mud. This unloading method accumulates high-level postural stress on the shoulder and arms. This awkward posture creates musculoskeletal disorders in associated muscle and pain in different body joints. The aim of the study is to change the work posture (unloading mud) ergonomically. One conceptual model of the mud-transfer trolley was made by using SolidWorks CAD software based on anthropometric data of brick kiln workers. The CAD drawing was then converted to a full-scale prototype for simulation study. The newly developed concepts were applied in the actual field which increase the productivity by delaying the physiological fatigue.
Research into Design for Communities, Volume 1, 2017
This case study was conducted to understand the risk factors for the pressure sore development po... more This case study was conducted to understand the risk factors for the pressure sore development post rehabilitation among Indian veterans with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Development of pressure sore is common among people with SCI. Rehabilitation centers help people with SCI to understand the SCI better and teaches them to deal with its secondary problem like Pressure Sore. The veterans of Post Rehabilitation Center are quadriplegic and paraplegic and have reported the development of pressure sore post rehabilitation. Most common areas of development of pressure are Sacrum, Ischia, R/L Trochanters. Veterans with complete SCI are more at risk of development of Pressure sore. The paper provides the potential risk factors due to which veterans with SCI develop pressure sore post rehabilitation.
The Ischial tuberosity or sitting bones bear the weight of the body when sitting. The width of th... more The Ischial tuberosity or sitting bones bear the weight of the body when sitting. The width of the ischial tuberosity is, therefore, an important consideration when designing seats, especially narrow seats like bicycle and motorcycle. The aim of this study is to measure the width of ischial tuberosity for Indian male motorcycle users. The width of ischial tuberosity is measured using seat interface pressure map. Ischial tuberosity being a bony projection with very little tissue and muscle covering while sitting are clearly reflected as high pressure areas on a pressure map. A total of 63 male volunteers participated in this study. Seat pressure measurements are carried out for each subject while seated on a hard surface. The resulting data is analysed to measure the width of ischial tuberosity and its general statistical distribution. The results show that the mean width of ischial tuberosity is 111.8 mm with a standard deviation of 9.3 mm. The 5th and 95th percentile values are 97....
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
India is the Second Largest producer of clay fired bricks, accounting for more than 10% of global... more India is the Second Largest producer of clay fired bricks, accounting for more than 10% of global production. Stress at the workplace was linked to absenteeism, higher attrition and decreased productivity. Physiological, Postural, and Psychological stresses are mainly four major stresses that affect productivity/human performance. A good numbers of research paper suggested that “design intervention” is required as soon as possible in brick making industry. In Indian brick-making industry, prioritization of direction for design intervention is essential. Keeping in mind, the necessity of prioritization between Physiological, Postural, and Psychological stress (P-P-P Scale), the present study focused to give direction guidelines for design intervention.
Pressure Ulceration (PrU) is a leading cause of insalubrity and even mortality in people with Spi... more Pressure Ulceration (PrU) is a leading cause of insalubrity and even mortality in people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). It is a major cause of re-hospitalization and subsequent mental and financial agony among them. Development of PrU in the initial phases of SCI, reduces the chances of recovery as the person becomes bedridden and thus, misses out on important period of physiotherapy and exercise. Moreover, this extended state of inactivity, in turn, mostly results in more PrUs due to prolonged exposure to pressure.
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
India is the largest producer of Moringa tree’s pod referred to as ‘drumstick’ in the world. Harv... more India is the largest producer of Moringa tree’s pod referred to as ‘drumstick’ in the world. Harvesting of this commercially valuable farm produce is a delicate process due to constraints such as height of plant, judgmental visibility in selective plucking, and damage to the drumstick during the harvesting, long working hours and uncomfortable posture of harvester. At present, most of the farmers are using locally made, non-ergonomically developed tools. These self-made harvesting tools are an essential cause for low economic returns to farmers from drumstick farming due to the high percentage harvesting of immature pods by non-selective plucking.
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
Seating comfort in automobiles has two important factors, static factors and dynamic factors. Res... more Seating comfort in automobiles has two important factors, static factors and dynamic factors. Research on static factors of seating comfort often uses static lab based test set-ups to evaluate comfort. Studies, especially in passenger cars, have shown that there is no significant difference in the ratings of seating comfort between lab based set-ups and actual driving. The riding posture, mass distribution and dynamics of a motorcycle are unlike a passenger car and warrant further examination to use static lab based set-ups. The aim of the current study is to examine the validity of using static lab based set-up to evaluate static factors of seating comfort in motorcycles. A group of 18 male volunteers from TVS Motor Company participated in the study. The study involves subjective rating of seating comfort and measurement of seat interface pressure in a static lab based set up as well as actual driving in a flat test track for two motorcycles. The results show that there is no signi...
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
The driving duration is an important consideration for the design and development of automobile s... more The driving duration is an important consideration for the design and development of automobile seats. Seating comfort consists of two factors, static and dynamic, and research on passenger cars shows both these factors are influenced by driving duration. However there is limited research to understand the influence of driving duration on seating comfort in motorcycles. This study investigates the influence of driving duration on static factors of seating comfort in motorcycles. Motorcycles from India that are typically used for commuting are considered in this study. The study is carried out with the help of 13 male volunteers and involves subjective rating of seating comfort in a static lab based set up of the motorcycle. The evaluation is carried out for 60 min and the rating of seating comfort is obtained after every 10 min. The data is analysed statistically using ANOVA. The results show that there is a significant influence of time on seating comfort in motorcycles (p < 0.0...
The road accidents and the resulting fatalities are on a rise in India. Statistics point out that... more The road accidents and the resulting fatalities are on a rise in India. Statistics point out that a large majority of the accidents involve novice drivers, and are a result of human errors. In order to study the causes of these human errors, we aim to study the effect of driver training on novice drivers. Improper visualization of road transportation system, overestimation of driving skills and underestimation of risks involved in driving may also have a strong influence on driver errors. Under this premise, this paper presents the summary of a study that draws its inferences from the perceptions of drivers about road transportation system and its associated safety aspects, in order to understand the role of driver training in risk estimation and perception in novice drivers. A comparative study on the perceptions of experienced and novice drivers, and a direct observation study of the current driver training methods is conducted identify the gaps in the safety perceptions of novice...
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2019
Objective: The aim of the current study is to examine the influence of static factors on overall ... more Objective: The aim of the current study is to examine the influence of static factors on overall seating comfort in motorcycles and validate the use of static lab-based setups for evaluating seating comfort in motorcycles. Background: Seating comfort in automobiles has two factors, static and dynamic. Research on seating comfort of passenger cars has shown that when the magnitude of vibration reaching the seat is low, comfort is largely determined by static factors. Studies have also validated the use of static lab-based setups for research on seating comfort in passenger cars. Static lab-based setups are easy to develop, provide a controlled environment, and efficient for experimental research. The riding posture, mass distribution, and dynamics of a motorcycle differ from a passenger car and warrant further investigation to extend the results from the research on passenger cars. Method: The study compares subjective rating of seating comfort and objective measurement of seat inter...
Objective The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid Motorcycle Seating Comfort Que... more Objective The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid Motorcycle Seating Comfort Questionnaire (MSCQ). Background Motorcycle seat development is an iterative process based on subjective evaluations; however, there are no established subjective tools for evaluation of seating comfort. Research also suggests that seating comfort in motorcycles is poor and needs improvement. The development of a MSCQ therefore is an important step that can enable further research and aid in improving the design of motorcycle seats. Method The MSCQ is developed following guidelines available in literature and referring to established questionnaires for seating comfort in passenger cars. The MSCQ is further refined based on pilot studies and interviews with experts. The final version of the MSCQ is then statistically evaluated for reliability and validity. The reliability is evaluated using a test-retest protocol with 31 volunteers. The validity is evaluated by comparing the ratings of the M...
Brick manufacturing is a traditional, unorganized and very booming industry in India. More than 1... more Brick manufacturing is a traditional, unorganized and very booming industry in India. More than 150,000 brick units are engaged in brick making with employment to more than 8 million workers. The main drawback of existing brick moulding method is that a large amount of load is handled by fingers and wrists of both hands in squatting posture. There is wrist bending of (32.78° ± 12.84) which mostly consists of ulnar deviation, which in turn causes pain in wrist movement. Thus, an ergonomic study is done for improving the hand, wrist-palm and finger movement. Three different new concepts of moulds were designed which will not only increase the productivity by delaying the physiological fatigue, but also will prevent the expense of the human cost. So that the workers can continue working for a longer period under the conducive and safe work condition which in turn will influence their social security, health and safety.
A ventilator system provides a respiratory support to critically-ill patients. Its touch screen-b... more A ventilator system provides a respiratory support to critically-ill patients. Its touch screen-based onscreen User Interface (UI) helps medical users in treatment of the patient. The usability problems in medical UIs may contribute to medical errors, affecting the patient condition. Thus, the usability evaluation of medical UIs is extremely important for patient safety. The study of usability evaluation models has revealed that there is a need of domain-specific evaluation model for medical UIs, focusing on medical context; especially critical aspects in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The proposed UI Component Model is based on UI components, Norman’s action model and identified usability problems.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway is the first rail system in India which began services in Mumbai in 1... more The Mumbai Suburban Railway is the first rail system in India which began services in Mumbai in 1867 transports today about 6.3 million passengers daily and has the highest passenger density in the world. Considering the age old existing workstation design a new ergonomics based design approach is undertaken to redesign the workstation with advanced instrumentation. In present situation drivers have difficulty in external visibility along with associated musculo-skeletal and psychophysical stresses as obtained from direct discussions and questionnaire feedback. A user centered approach on Drivers behaviour and understanding the issues while driving were made on board by personal interview and observation method. Based on collected anthropometric data a 3D model of the chair and the workstation were made by using solidworks CAD software. The CAD drawing was then converted to a full scale prototype for simulation study. Special care was taken for rearrangement of different control panels according to drivers’ suitability. Driving comfort was also taken into consideration while designing the ideal workstation.
This paper discusses the procedure and results of single camera photogrammetric anthropometry car... more This paper discusses the procedure and results of single camera photogrammetric anthropometry carried out to deduce 36 body dimensions of Indian males aged between 22 to 50 years. It is a low cost method and can be used widely to carry out a larger anthropometric survey. The paper discusses the complete procedure and errors involved in the process. It elaborates the effective error due to parallax and the technique adopted for its elimination. The effective mean error in the readings was reduced to 0.32 percent. The special application of this low cost photogrammetric technique is to generate planar intra body dimensions which may be requiredfor specific design applications. The results of the photogrammetric anthropometry are compared with earlier anthropometric results augmenting the earlier Indian anthropometric data base.
The brick industry in India is highly labour-intensive employing about 15 million workers, and is... more The brick industry in India is highly labour-intensive employing about 15 million workers, and is characterized by the use of manual labour, primitive and age-old technology. Mud transfer is a sub-activity among the brick-moulding activity. During mud transfer, workers handled 7000 kg (350 kg*20 trip) load every day beside their main brick-moulding activity. During the unloading of the mud, they put both the hands above shoulder level and at the same time they need to pull the trolley to back and make an aisle of mud. This unloading method accumulates high-level postural stress on the shoulder and arms. This awkward posture creates musculoskeletal disorders in associated muscle and pain in different body joints. The aim of the study is to change the work posture (unloading mud) ergonomically. One conceptual model of the mud-transfer trolley was made by using SolidWorks CAD software based on anthropometric data of brick kiln workers. The CAD drawing was then converted to a full-scale prototype for simulation study. The newly developed concepts were applied in the actual field which increase the productivity by delaying the physiological fatigue.
Research into Design for Communities, Volume 1, 2017
This case study was conducted to understand the risk factors for the pressure sore development po... more This case study was conducted to understand the risk factors for the pressure sore development post rehabilitation among Indian veterans with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Development of pressure sore is common among people with SCI. Rehabilitation centers help people with SCI to understand the SCI better and teaches them to deal with its secondary problem like Pressure Sore. The veterans of Post Rehabilitation Center are quadriplegic and paraplegic and have reported the development of pressure sore post rehabilitation. Most common areas of development of pressure are Sacrum, Ischia, R/L Trochanters. Veterans with complete SCI are more at risk of development of Pressure sore. The paper provides the potential risk factors due to which veterans with SCI develop pressure sore post rehabilitation.
The Ischial tuberosity or sitting bones bear the weight of the body when sitting. The width of th... more The Ischial tuberosity or sitting bones bear the weight of the body when sitting. The width of the ischial tuberosity is, therefore, an important consideration when designing seats, especially narrow seats like bicycle and motorcycle. The aim of this study is to measure the width of ischial tuberosity for Indian male motorcycle users. The width of ischial tuberosity is measured using seat interface pressure map. Ischial tuberosity being a bony projection with very little tissue and muscle covering while sitting are clearly reflected as high pressure areas on a pressure map. A total of 63 male volunteers participated in this study. Seat pressure measurements are carried out for each subject while seated on a hard surface. The resulting data is analysed to measure the width of ischial tuberosity and its general statistical distribution. The results show that the mean width of ischial tuberosity is 111.8 mm with a standard deviation of 9.3 mm. The 5th and 95th percentile values are 97....
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
India is the Second Largest producer of clay fired bricks, accounting for more than 10% of global... more India is the Second Largest producer of clay fired bricks, accounting for more than 10% of global production. Stress at the workplace was linked to absenteeism, higher attrition and decreased productivity. Physiological, Postural, and Psychological stresses are mainly four major stresses that affect productivity/human performance. A good numbers of research paper suggested that “design intervention” is required as soon as possible in brick making industry. In Indian brick-making industry, prioritization of direction for design intervention is essential. Keeping in mind, the necessity of prioritization between Physiological, Postural, and Psychological stress (P-P-P Scale), the present study focused to give direction guidelines for design intervention.
Pressure Ulceration (PrU) is a leading cause of insalubrity and even mortality in people with Spi... more Pressure Ulceration (PrU) is a leading cause of insalubrity and even mortality in people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). It is a major cause of re-hospitalization and subsequent mental and financial agony among them. Development of PrU in the initial phases of SCI, reduces the chances of recovery as the person becomes bedridden and thus, misses out on important period of physiotherapy and exercise. Moreover, this extended state of inactivity, in turn, mostly results in more PrUs due to prolonged exposure to pressure.
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
India is the largest producer of Moringa tree’s pod referred to as ‘drumstick’ in the world. Harv... more India is the largest producer of Moringa tree’s pod referred to as ‘drumstick’ in the world. Harvesting of this commercially valuable farm produce is a delicate process due to constraints such as height of plant, judgmental visibility in selective plucking, and damage to the drumstick during the harvesting, long working hours and uncomfortable posture of harvester. At present, most of the farmers are using locally made, non-ergonomically developed tools. These self-made harvesting tools are an essential cause for low economic returns to farmers from drumstick farming due to the high percentage harvesting of immature pods by non-selective plucking.
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
Seating comfort in automobiles has two important factors, static factors and dynamic factors. Res... more Seating comfort in automobiles has two important factors, static factors and dynamic factors. Research on static factors of seating comfort often uses static lab based test set-ups to evaluate comfort. Studies, especially in passenger cars, have shown that there is no significant difference in the ratings of seating comfort between lab based set-ups and actual driving. The riding posture, mass distribution and dynamics of a motorcycle are unlike a passenger car and warrant further examination to use static lab based set-ups. The aim of the current study is to examine the validity of using static lab based set-up to evaluate static factors of seating comfort in motorcycles. A group of 18 male volunteers from TVS Motor Company participated in the study. The study involves subjective rating of seating comfort and measurement of seat interface pressure in a static lab based set up as well as actual driving in a flat test track for two motorcycles. The results show that there is no signi...
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018
The driving duration is an important consideration for the design and development of automobile s... more The driving duration is an important consideration for the design and development of automobile seats. Seating comfort consists of two factors, static and dynamic, and research on passenger cars shows both these factors are influenced by driving duration. However there is limited research to understand the influence of driving duration on seating comfort in motorcycles. This study investigates the influence of driving duration on static factors of seating comfort in motorcycles. Motorcycles from India that are typically used for commuting are considered in this study. The study is carried out with the help of 13 male volunteers and involves subjective rating of seating comfort in a static lab based set up of the motorcycle. The evaluation is carried out for 60 min and the rating of seating comfort is obtained after every 10 min. The data is analysed statistically using ANOVA. The results show that there is a significant influence of time on seating comfort in motorcycles (p < 0.0...
The road accidents and the resulting fatalities are on a rise in India. Statistics point out that... more The road accidents and the resulting fatalities are on a rise in India. Statistics point out that a large majority of the accidents involve novice drivers, and are a result of human errors. In order to study the causes of these human errors, we aim to study the effect of driver training on novice drivers. Improper visualization of road transportation system, overestimation of driving skills and underestimation of risks involved in driving may also have a strong influence on driver errors. Under this premise, this paper presents the summary of a study that draws its inferences from the perceptions of drivers about road transportation system and its associated safety aspects, in order to understand the role of driver training in risk estimation and perception in novice drivers. A comparative study on the perceptions of experienced and novice drivers, and a direct observation study of the current driver training methods is conducted identify the gaps in the safety perceptions of novice...
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2019
Objective: The aim of the current study is to examine the influence of static factors on overall ... more Objective: The aim of the current study is to examine the influence of static factors on overall seating comfort in motorcycles and validate the use of static lab-based setups for evaluating seating comfort in motorcycles. Background: Seating comfort in automobiles has two factors, static and dynamic. Research on seating comfort of passenger cars has shown that when the magnitude of vibration reaching the seat is low, comfort is largely determined by static factors. Studies have also validated the use of static lab-based setups for research on seating comfort in passenger cars. Static lab-based setups are easy to develop, provide a controlled environment, and efficient for experimental research. The riding posture, mass distribution, and dynamics of a motorcycle differ from a passenger car and warrant further investigation to extend the results from the research on passenger cars. Method: The study compares subjective rating of seating comfort and objective measurement of seat inter...
Objective The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid Motorcycle Seating Comfort Que... more Objective The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid Motorcycle Seating Comfort Questionnaire (MSCQ). Background Motorcycle seat development is an iterative process based on subjective evaluations; however, there are no established subjective tools for evaluation of seating comfort. Research also suggests that seating comfort in motorcycles is poor and needs improvement. The development of a MSCQ therefore is an important step that can enable further research and aid in improving the design of motorcycle seats. Method The MSCQ is developed following guidelines available in literature and referring to established questionnaires for seating comfort in passenger cars. The MSCQ is further refined based on pilot studies and interviews with experts. The final version of the MSCQ is then statistically evaluated for reliability and validity. The reliability is evaluated using a test-retest protocol with 31 volunteers. The validity is evaluated by comparing the ratings of the M...
Brick manufacturing is a traditional, unorganized and very booming industry in India. More than 1... more Brick manufacturing is a traditional, unorganized and very booming industry in India. More than 150,000 brick units are engaged in brick making with employment to more than 8 million workers. The main drawback of existing brick moulding method is that a large amount of load is handled by fingers and wrists of both hands in squatting posture. There is wrist bending of (32.78° ± 12.84) which mostly consists of ulnar deviation, which in turn causes pain in wrist movement. Thus, an ergonomic study is done for improving the hand, wrist-palm and finger movement. Three different new concepts of moulds were designed which will not only increase the productivity by delaying the physiological fatigue, but also will prevent the expense of the human cost. So that the workers can continue working for a longer period under the conducive and safe work condition which in turn will influence their social security, health and safety.
A ventilator system provides a respiratory support to critically-ill patients. Its touch screen-b... more A ventilator system provides a respiratory support to critically-ill patients. Its touch screen-based onscreen User Interface (UI) helps medical users in treatment of the patient. The usability problems in medical UIs may contribute to medical errors, affecting the patient condition. Thus, the usability evaluation of medical UIs is extremely important for patient safety. The study of usability evaluation models has revealed that there is a need of domain-specific evaluation model for medical UIs, focusing on medical context; especially critical aspects in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The proposed UI Component Model is based on UI components, Norman’s action model and identified usability problems.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway is the first rail system in India which began services in Mumbai in 1... more The Mumbai Suburban Railway is the first rail system in India which began services in Mumbai in 1867 transports today about 6.3 million passengers daily and has the highest passenger density in the world. Considering the age old existing workstation design a new ergonomics based design approach is undertaken to redesign the workstation with advanced instrumentation. In present situation drivers have difficulty in external visibility along with associated musculo-skeletal and psychophysical stresses as obtained from direct discussions and questionnaire feedback. A user centered approach on Drivers behaviour and understanding the issues while driving were made on board by personal interview and observation method. Based on collected anthropometric data a 3D model of the chair and the workstation were made by using solidworks CAD software. The CAD drawing was then converted to a full scale prototype for simulation study. Special care was taken for rearrangement of different control panels according to drivers’ suitability. Driving comfort was also taken into consideration while designing the ideal workstation.
This paper discusses the procedure and results of single camera photogrammetric anthropometry car... more This paper discusses the procedure and results of single camera photogrammetric anthropometry carried out to deduce 36 body dimensions of Indian males aged between 22 to 50 years. It is a low cost method and can be used widely to carry out a larger anthropometric survey. The paper discusses the complete procedure and errors involved in the process. It elaborates the effective error due to parallax and the technique adopted for its elimination. The effective mean error in the readings was reduced to 0.32 percent. The special application of this low cost photogrammetric technique is to generate planar intra body dimensions which may be requiredfor specific design applications. The results of the photogrammetric anthropometry are compared with earlier anthropometric results augmenting the earlier Indian anthropometric data base.
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Papers by Gaur Ray