Segmental coordination in lifting tasks

The information about segmental coordination is crucial when a biomechanical analysis is performed. To collect kinematics data during lifting, specialized motion tracking equipment must be used. Due to the complexity of the setup of both hardware and software, such equipment is only suitable in the laboratory environment and has very limited success in the field application. To improve the :applicability and help ergonomic practitioners conduct biomechanical analysis, a computerized lifting analysis program was developed. By creating two synchronized windows; one for the videotape of the lift, and the other for the computer simulated 3D-mannequin movement, this program takes full advantage of the human capacity for motion pattern recognition and perceptual judgment of segmental coordination, and is user friendly as a field analysis tool.