Modal analysis of human body vibration model for Indian subjects under sitting posture

• Published in: Ergonomics Vol. 58; no. 7; pp. 1117 - 1132
• Main Authors: Singh, Ishbir, Nigam, S.P., Saran, V.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 03.07.2015; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Anthropometry; Biodynamics; Biomechanical Phenomena; Body Weight; Decoupling; Eigenvalues; Ergonomics; Human beings; Human body; Humans; India; Indian subjects; lumped parameter model; Male; Mathematical models; Measurement; Modelling; Models, Theoretical; Posture - physiology; sitting posture; Vibration; Vibration - adverse effects; whole-body vibration biodynamics; sitting posture; whole-body vibration biodynamics; Indian subjects; anthropometry; lumped parameter model
• ISSN: 0014-0139; 1366-5847; 1366-5847
• DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2014.961567

Need and importance of modelling in human body vibration research studies are well established. The study of biodynamic responses of human beings can be classified into experimental and analytical methods. In the past few decades, plenty of mathematical models have been developed based on the diverse field measurements to describe the biodynamic responses of human beings. In this paper, a complete study on lumped parameter model derived from 50th percentile anthropometric data for a seated 54- kg Indian male subject without backrest support under free un-damped conditions has been carried out considering human body segments to be of ellipsoidal shape. Conventional lumped parameter modelling considers the human body as several rigid masses interconnected by springs and dampers. In this study, concept of mass of interconnecting springs has been incorporated and eigenvalues thus obtained are found to be closer to the values reported in the literature. Results obtained clearly establish decoupling of vertical and fore-and-aft oscillations. Practitioner Summary: The mathematical modelling of human body vibration studies help in validating the experimental investigations for ride comfort of a sitting subject. This study clearly establishes the decoupling of vertical and fore-and-aft vibrations and helps in better understanding of possible human response to single and multi-axial excitations.