1. Introduction
The study of the center of mass (CoM) is crucial for workplace ergonomics [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5] because it helps to optimize the design of work environments, equipment, and tasks to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of workers. The location of the CoM of a seated participant can be used for seat design, restraint systems [
6], and other human-centered products and environments. Also, its understanding and consideration are important in body stability [
7], posture and alignment [
8], lifting and manual handling [
9,
10], and biomechanics [
11]. According [
12], evaluation of the CoM requires a time-efficient measurement and high accuracy, especially in the case of body balance measurements.
The CoM is one of the main problems of biomechanics and locomotion. It helps during the modeling of the human body and its activity [
13], i.e., assessment of the technique of static positions and different kinds of movement. In general, the CoM can be measured using various direct and indirect methods. In some situations, a laboratory approach with the reaction board on which a participant can lie can be used for indirect measurements [
14]. But this needs time and wearing off the participants’ clothes. The direct approaches include methods with live subjects and cadavres [
15]. In this case such as stereophotogrammetry systems, electromyography (EMG) and force platforms, can be used. Direct approaches are expensive, require sufficient measurement space, and are difficult to implement [
16]. In this regard, there is a growing interest in new methods that provide ease of measurement, better accuracy, and non-invasiveness. In other cases, especially during movement, indirect methods may be useful. Indirect methods include an optical motion capture system with reflected markers [
17], motion capture systems using wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) [
7,
18] and markerless motion capture [
19,
20]. Due to the technical limitations of the listed methods, the marker-free motion capture method can be one of the most convenient and non-invasive methods for analyzing dynamic motions, especially for underwater simulation of motions in hypogravity (HG) conditions.
The aim of this study was to determine the CoM of the seated underwater participants to simulate HG using indirect methods, markerless motion capture, with 3D visualization elements. In this study, whole body CoM location analysis was assessed relative to the hip joint of participants performing outstretched arm and arm bent at the elbow (S), dynamic (D) in two different environments with 1/6g and 1g for comparison purposes. The hypothesis was that under HG conditions, the upper body would exhibit a posterior tilt as opposed to 1g when engaging in tasks. The findings of this investigation revealed a substantial alteration in the Center of Mass (CoM) position due to the transition between different gravitational environments.
4. Discussion
Studying the CoM is crucial for workplace ergonomics, optimizing the work environment, equipment, and tasks for worker safety and comfort. Understanding the center of mass is vital for multiple reasons. Firstly, it determines stability, impacting accident and fall risks. Ergonomists analyze it to identify stability issues, enhance safety, and prevent accidents. Secondly, it influences posture and alignment, reducing musculoskeletal disease risk and ensuring comfort. Thirdly, it's crucial for safe lifting and movement. Ergonomic principles leverage CoM knowledge to guide lifting techniques, define load limits, and design equipment, reducing body strain. Considering the CoM enables ergonomic strategies that minimize injury risks, enhance worker well-being, and boost work efficiency.
The human body's reaction to HG circumstances is still largely unknown, even though the present focus of space exploration efforts is on how to go to Mars or beyond. In the frame of this work, a method for CoM prediction under simulated HG for examining human posture was described. The uniqueness of this study resides in the fact that for the first time, participant posture as indicated in CoM location was evaluated in accordance with the load under HG while seated. Additionally, simulating the biomechanics of the upper limbs at the workplace under HG is a recent study subject, and there is still a knowledge gap in this field.
Tracking CoM is a challenging problem. During this study, this problem was automized by the motion capture method application. It allowed collecting the input on specific keypoints related to the head, upper, and lower extremities, and torso. The result of this study shows that for static tasks and dynamic tasks for females and males, there was a significant correlation (p<0.01) between the CoM displacement along Y (vertical axis) and the level of gravity change (from 1/6g to 1g), with a range of correlation coefficient 5.9 cm to 17 cm, see
Figure 2 (a) and (b). Only one significant correlation was found between the deviation of the CoM along Z (horizontal axis) and the change in the level of gravity (from 1/6g to 1g) for females performing static and dynamic tasks. Correlation coefficient is 6.02 cm (p<0.01). This can probably be explained by the fact that when the body is under stress (under load, under the earth's gravity), a person tends to straighten his back in a neutral sitting position. This theory is supported by the result obtained in the
Figure 2 (c), where the CoM of females tends to the vertical under the 1g. At the same time, the CoM shifts upwards, as the results of females and males show, see
Figure 2 (a)-(b). The reverse situation is observed with simulated HG. This is likely since the body of the participants becomes lighter in the simulated lunar gravity, and the postural stability and overall adaptability of the body to the environment changes. Even with a restraint system, participants' bodies are less stable in simulated lunar gravity, so this should be considered when designing workplace design requirements. These results are consistent with the previously reported in [
23] results of spine inclination of the same participants in relation to the vertical. According to the author, the findings regarding alterations in body positioning indicate a significant (p<0.01) backward shift in torso inclination during seated positions while executing both static and dynamic tasks under HG.
This may also be due to changes in participants' tactile, vestibular, or visual perception and body tilt under simulated HG. This area is still under investigation and there are many ambiguities. In accordance with [
31], to understand this, it is necessary to conduct multisensory observation combining visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and proprioceptive studies. Another author [
32] found a problem of perception of HG related to "G-shortage" illusion that can lead to for the underestimation of roll tilt.
Another finding of this study was that the use of markerless motion capturing techniques could increase experiment efficiency and fasten data collecting. Additionally, it is beneficial to carry out non-invasive studies on volunteers, such as extensive water trials. These solutions are substantially less expensive than sensor-based approaches, which can greatly enhance the amount of data collected and, consequently, the findings. Second, these techniques can be used on projects that are still in the design phase. Since there are yet no definitive suggestions and decisions for how astronauts will conduct operations, this has a direct bearing on the architecture of lunar and Martian bases. For further experiments, the use of a single camera with LiDAR in underwater conditions can be assumed.
As a result of the difficulty in stabilizing the body, it is anticipated that the energy costs for the Moon's environment will be higher. However, this should still be validated.
There were still certain restrictions even if the results of the research on this subject were like those on fatigue and in good agreement with the methods used in the European ergonomics guidelines. These, in general, are connected to the scant number of motions examined. While repetitive tasks and other categories of static tasks can also be analyzed, this study concentrated on the investigation of just static and dynamic motions. This is due to the volume of video data generated and the difficulty of processing the information gathered from the three cameras used in the postural study.
As the further direction of this work, the total work and metabolic energy while performing the tasks can be calculated for simulated 1⁄6G and 1G. For that the trajectory of body segments and CoM trajectory of the whole body is necessary. The trajectory of body segments as well as the CoM of the body can be potentially found with markerless motion capture.
There are several limitations of this work. These, in general, are connected to the scant number of motions examined. While repetitive tasks and other categories of static tasks can also be analyzed, this study concentrated on the investigation of just static and dynamic motions. This is due to the volume of video data generated and the difficulty of processing the information gathered from the three cameras used in the postural study.
Another constraint is associated with the markerless motion capture model, OpenPose, which lacks intricacy in representing the participant's back, depicting it as a simple linear segment. Hence, further investigations should be conducted to examine the impact of the back with multiple keypoints on CoM displacement. Subsequent experiments in the realm of this research avenue could consider Martian gravity as a viable option. Also, the results should be verified in real-world settings (for instance, a parabolic flight campaign), as there may be errors related to markerless motion capture prediction capacities, and water density impact on the participant's motions.