Monitoring the use of chair backrest and forearm support during computer work with and without a workplace Butterfly board attachment

Abstract

In this thesis, a new method is proposed for monitoring the use of backrest and forearm support during computer work on a standard workstation and the same workstation with a Butterfly board attachment. The developed techniques measure the effect of using the Butterfly board on the resting duration and the pressure on the back and forearms while resting. Novel™ pressure sensor mats were used to measure pressure applied by resting against the chair back rest and the arm rests. To ensure that the back mat is not moving, a new technique of mapping the back points of contact with the backrest is used. A video camera, synchronized with the pressure measurement system, is used to identify the location where the forearms were resting (work surface or chair arm rests).