Measuring hand forces and wrist motions for preventing injuries in the workplace

Cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) are injuries which result from the same tasks being performed over and over. An instrument for measuring hand forces and wrist motions to study CTDs is presented. Three Hall effect sensors are used to measure wrist motion; two for flexion/extension and one for radial/lunar deviation of the wrist. To measure pressure distribution, resistive ink force sensors are used that can be attached to any surface of the hand with spray glue or tape. Software collects the data from the sensors for recording and analyses. Uses for the instrument are discussed