Methodological approach and co-simulation for the prediction and biomechanical optimization of human-machine interaction during activities with electric hand tools

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Klaus Bengler; Professor Dr.-Ing. Sven Matthiesen
• Subject Area: Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 535064559

The aim of the planned research project is to establish a methodical procedure and a co-simulation for the assessment of human stress during the use of power tools in different power tool applications. This will enable the ergonomically optimized design of power tools in the future by assessing the impact of disruptive design changes at an early stage of product development, considering the resulting human stress. Approaches already exist for simulating postures and the resulting musculoskeletal stresses on the user based on product and application boundary conditions. These use simulation environments that can predict realistic user posture with the product in use, as well as environments that can predict musculoskeletal stresses from the given posture and loading from external forces. Thus, approaches to posture and strain prediction exist in the state of the art, but these are not directly applicable to activities involving electric hand tools. For the co-simulation, existing model approaches are used to extend them for activities with electric hand tools. The method will be developed using the example system hammer drill. The hammer drill system is particularly suitable because, on the one hand, it causes a high level of stress for the user and is used in a wide range of applications and, on the other hand, its (quasi-)static attitude makes it a manageable complexity for the development of the method. The result of the project is a method and co-simulation for predicting the postures most likely to be assumed by the user in interaction with a newly designed product during an application, as well as the prediction of the user's stress on the basis of a biomechanical simulation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants