Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (OEB) Laboratories
Our Motto
UT PROSIM THAT I MAY SERVE
Welcome to the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratories
The Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (OEB) Laboratories conduct work in theoretical and applied ergonomics, occupational biomechanics, and work physiology, primarily relating to worksite, workstation, and equipment evaluation and design. Specifically, research is focused on:
- Biomechanics of the human body (modeling, strength, motions, and working postures);
- Human engineering of systems, equipment, tools, workstations, and work tasks;
- Ergonomic design for safety, efficiency, and performance.
Major application domains for the work in the laboratories are manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. The Laboratories consist of several rooms, which are used as needed for research, development, and evaluation. Those Laboratories are well equipped to do research in a variety of areas.
New article A data-driven approach to classifying manual material handling tasks using markerless motion capture and recurrent neural networks by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. (May 2025)
Lingyu Li, an M.S. program student, successfully defended his thesis, "Evaluating Model-Estimated Shoulder Muscle Activity During Overhead Work with Varied Task Demands and Exoskeleton Use." He will continue his academic journey in the PhD program in ISE at Virginia Tech. Congratulations, Lingyu! (May 2025)
A Ph.D. candidate and OEB Lab member, Wallace "Wally" Morris, successfully defended his dissertation, "A Postural Exposure Assessment of Dental Health Professionals and the Effectiveness of Exoskeletons to Reduce Ergonomic Risk in Dentistry." Congratulations, Dr. Morris! (May 2025)
New article Passive back support exoskeletons do not effectively reduce physical demands during simulated floor tiling by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in Applied Ergonomics. (May 2025)
A Ph.D. candidate and OEB Lab member, Shafiqual Islam, successfully defended his dissertation, "Virtual Reality (VR) in Occupational Training: Enhancing Training Performance and Overcoming Challenges in Forklift Driving." Congratulations, Dr. Islam! (May 2025)
Several OEB graduate students guided local high school students through hands-on activities highlighting the field of biomechanics on 2025 National Biomechanics Day.
In partnership with Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at VT, local high school students visited campus on the 2025 National Biomechanics Day! Several OEB Lab graduate students, including Ahmad Raza Usmani, Sakshi Taori, Lingyu Li, Feyisayo Akinwande, and Mahdis Tajdari guided the high school students through hands-on activities highlighting the field of biomechanics. Check out the full video! (April 2025)
Congratulations to Dr. Sol Lim for being selected as an Outstanding New Assistant Professor for the 2025 College of Engineering Dean's Awards of Excellence!
(April 2025)
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