Grip and Electrophysiological Sensor-Based Estimation of Muscle Fatigue While Holding Steering Wheel in Different Positions

Hand position while driving varies considerably among drivers and it depends on their training and habit of driving. In this paper, we have estimated muscle fatigue of drivers using sensors to measure interfacial grip pressure and surface electromyography (sEMG) for three different steering wheel holding positions, i.e., 10-2, 9-3, and 8-4, during simulated driving. Thirty volunteers participated in this study by performing 60 min of simulated driving. sEMG study did not show a significant (p < 0.05) rate of increase in muscle fatigue while driving in 8-4 position when compared with 10-2 and 9-3 positions. Interfacial grip pressure showed that the mechanical loading acting on the palm of the hands was distributed while holding steering wheel in 8-4 position. In comparison, 10-2 and 9-3 positions showed a point palmar loading. In 8-4 position, the rate of decrease of interfacial grip pressure features such as contact pressure was observed to be significantly (p < 0.05) lower than 10-2 and 9-3 positions. This implies that the rate of fatigue will be lower while holding steering wheel in the 8-4 position. Based on the result from this paper, the 8-4 position can be concluded as the best position to hold the steering wheel to reduce the risk of muscle fatigue and other injuries to drivers during prolonged driving.