Using Kinect™ sensor in observational methods for assessing postures at work

This paper examines the potential use of Kinect™ range sensor in observational methods for assessing postural loads. Range sensors can detect the position of the joints at high sampling rates without attaching sensors or markers directly to the subject under study. First, a computerized OWAS ergonomic assessment system was implemented to permit the data acquisition from Kinect™ and data processing in order to identify the risk level of each recorded postures. Output data were compared with the results provided by human observers, and were used to determine the influence of the sensor view angle relative to the worker. The tests show high inter-method agreement in the classification of risk categories (Proportion agreement index = 0.89 κ = 0.83) when the tracked subject is facing the sensor. The camera's point of view relative to the position of the tracked subject significantly affects the correct classification of the postures. Although the results are promising, some aspects involved in the use of low-cost range sensors should be further studied for their use in real environments. •This paper examines the potential use of Kinect™ range sensors in observational methods for assessing postural loads.•The results obtained by human observers are compared with those obtained by the sensor.•The influence of the position of the sensor with respect to the tracked user is analyzed.•High agreement exists between human observers and the sensor when the tracked subject stands facing the sensor.•The orientation of the sensor with respect to the worker affects the sensor's ability to identify the body positions.