A Method for the Measurement of Energy Absorption in the Human Hand Using Various Types of Hand Tools,

摘要

A method has been developed for the measurement of vibrational energy dissipated in the human hand using certain types of hand tools,for instance,pneumatic rock drills. Dissipated energy seemed to be potentially one of the best parameters for studying the dynamic interaction between the operator's hand and the vibrating power tool as a background to research on vibrational diseases among professional workers. The method is based on measurements of vibrational force and acceleration as close as possible to the palm surface of the hand. This is obtained by using a special handle equipped with force transducers and accelerometers corresponding to each one of three orthogonal directions in space. By intergration of the acceleration signal,the corresponding instantaneous velocity is obtained. Analog multiplication of the force and velocity vectors produces a single output proportional to the energy dissipated per unit time or the dissipated power.