A comparison and evaluation of reported mechanical impedance data of the human hand-arm system

Dong, R. G.; Warren, C.; Welcome, D. E.; McDowell, T. W.; Wu, J. Z.

The measured mechanical impedance (MI) of the human hand-arm system may be useful for the estimation of vibration power transmission and absorption, the design of tools and test rigs, and the analysis of anti-vibration gloves. There are many sets of published MI data, but there is considerable variability among them. It is hypothesized that these differences may stem from natural factors as well as from errors in instrumentations and calculating algorithms. The natural factors include individual differences, coupling force differences, hand-arm posture variations, and tool handle design differences. Potential instrumentation and calculation errors include sensor errors, improper mass cancellation, and data analysis program errors. In this paper, several sets of MI data are compared and evaluated. It appears that the current ISO 10068 (1998) standard contains recommendations that are based in part on unreliable data. Consequently, computer models recommended in the same standard may also be problematic. Therefore, it is recommended that the standard be revised.

Year

Entry

1996

Mechanical Vibration and Shock: Hand-Arm Vibration: Method for the Measurement and Evaluation of the Vibration Transmissibility of Gloves At the Palm of the Hand. ISO Standard ISO 10819. [ISO Standard thesis]. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization; 1996.

1995

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1986

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1984

Reynolds DD, Basel R, Wasserman DE, Taylor W. A study of hand vibration on chipping and grinding operators, III: power levels into the hands of operators of pneumatic tools used in chipping and grinding operations. J Sound Vibrat. August 22, 1984;95(4):515-524.

2001

Dong RG, Rakheja S, Schopper AW, Han B, Smutz WP. Hand-transmitted vibration and biodynamic response of the human hand-arm: a critical review. Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 2001;29(4):393-439.