When Auburn University’s Iván Nail-Ulloa set out to measure the strain of lifting 400-pound manhole covers, motion capture data revealed the hidden risks behind the task. His findings led to the development of an assistive device that makes this demanding job safer and more ergonomic.ChallengeAuburn University’s Biomechanical Engineering (AUBE) Lab postdoctoral fellow, Iván Nail-Ulloa, needed to accurately measure employees’ physical wellbeing. It was important for the motion capture solution to work in any environment, including locations with magnetic interference.SolutionIvan used Xsens to identify potential risk areas and develop an assistive machine that automatically lifts manhole covers, with minimal human assistance required.Key takeaways<ul><li>Identifying the problem areas: Ivan and the team analysed lumbar spine loading, one of the most common injury areas during physical work</li><li>High compressive force during manhole cover lifting: Ergonomic analysis revealed that workers’ backs are subjected to potentially harmful/injury-inducing forces with each manhole lifted</li><li>Risk applies to multiple workers: Whether one or two people are lifting a cover, the force applied is still similar</li></ul>Ergonomic analysis is increasingly data-driven. Physical wellness at work takes technological evidence and extensive research to quantify. Postdoctoral fellow Iván Nail-Ulloa from Auburn University shares his project on ergonomics, reflects on the product he made to improve employee wellbeing, and shows how inertial motion capture provided the most accurate results.Preparing for ergonomic analysis Funded by EPRI Occupational Safety and Health Program 62, Ivan began his project, “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169814124000921" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Assessing the accuracy of a wireless sensor system for estimating lumbar moments during manual lifting tasks considering the effects of load weight, asymmetry, and height</a>”. It was designed to assess manual labor employees within their work environment and the adverse effects their tasks could have on their bodies, particularly for the lumbar spine. Lower-back pain is a well-known issue in the ergonomics industry, and Ivan wanted a technological method to study the cumulative exposure to physical risk factors. Traditionally, ergonomic solutions were created based on self-reported pain or company injury documents. “Things changed in the ergonomics industry when we could scientifically track data that provided tangible proof to employers of their employees experiencing pain,” explains Iván. “Having this information helps us find the exact issue with their workflow and provide a solution to stop injuries from happening.”The dissertation project began in 2018 when Iván had to choose which technology was best suited for his research. “We decided to compare optical and inertial motion capture using biomechanical modeling,” he says. “Our study found that inertial motion capture data and optical motion capture data varied by 12-14%, showing that the small difference, coupled with flexibility gains, made the inertial method the ideal choice.”  After making this decision, Iván began to research different systems.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1770812802229-Ivan+Nail+Ulloa+Auburn+Uni+3.jpg" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Creating a safe working environment for high-risk jobs A particular focus of Iván’s project was to enhance the occupational health and safety of power utility workers in New York. “Employees lift manhole covers that reach 400 pounds,” he mentions. “This is an extremely heavy load, and can be incredibly unsafe for those who have to lift it.” The workers use J-hooks that attach to the manhole covers and then haul them out of the way.To effectively quantify the pressure experienced on the workers’ bodies, the Xsens system was the perfect solution. “Working on ergonomics in a real-world scenario is very fast-paced, and we had to stop traffic in New York to record the worker’s movements,” explains Iván. “Luckily with the ease of setup, we could quickly get the recordings without holding anyone up for too long.”Given the particular setting and circumstances of this application, the research team knew they needed inertial motion capture to capture an accurate ergonomic analysis. Before Xsens, Iván found that machinery and nearby electronics would disrupt the technology’s electromagnetic field, so he had to search for a new option. The Awinda motion capture suit used in this study has magnetic immunity, making it the perfect use case in this context.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1770812824750-Ivan+Nail+Ulloa+Auburn+Uni.jpg" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Measuring the impact of manhole cover liftingThe research found that a significant amount of stress was placed on the workers’ bodies during the initial movement of the manhole cover (peaking at 276-739 lbs of compressive force). This applied whether there were one or two people moving the cover at once. While the compressive forces remain below the recommended compression limit, given the number of times the employees could do this task in a day, the cumulative damage was proven to be a very serious topic to address. This is on top of another point of high force revealed to occur during the initial exertion of the mahnhole cover, resulting in significant torso flexion.Gaining this valuable ergonomic research led to Iván and his team designing and building a power hook that automatically lifts manhole covers, eliminating the risk of injury. This technology enabled a reduction in peak compression force of 7-15%, and the improvement in the ergonomics was also noted anecdotally by the workers testing the new device, reporting that it “helps to keep a neutral back".“This solution simply could not be found without objective movement data,” Ivan says. “We needed quantifiable figures to show the contractors that moving these manhole covers posed a significant risk to their workers.” <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1770812848481-Ivan+Nail+Ulloa+Auburn+Uni+2.jpg" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Rapid results for occupational health and safetyCreating a safe working environment takes extensive planning and research to effectively quantify the workers’ needs. Ergonomic analysts do just this, but they need to have high-quality, accurate equipment to help them get the required information. Iván’s use of Xsens technology helped him make countless workers’ jobs safer through objective movement data. He needed pinpoint accuracy, and found that through biomechanical analysis and a reliable motion capture system, he could achieve just this.Looking to the future, Iván plans to continue ergonomic research using inertial motion capture. “Xsens is perfectly suited to my needs, and shows just how important accuracy is in ergonomics,” he says. “The next thing we’ll focus on from this project is improving the automatic manhole lifter in terms of speed, which was an idea created as a result of our collected data and workers’ feedback.”

With Motion Capture

How Auburn Researchers Made Manhole Lifting Safer

Quantum Movement combines motion capture, camera footage, and software to create an all-in-one tool for physical therapy, performance analysis, and training.Challenge:Biomechanics tools tend to be costly, complex, and limited to elite athletes, leaving most practitioners and athletes reliant on less accurate observational analysis.Solution:Quantum Movement combined Xsens motion capture with camera footage and software to deliver research-grade accuracy, real-time biofeedback, and a portable setup, making advanced biomechanics accessible to all.Key takeaways:<ul><li>Real-time biofeedback: Athletes and patients can instantly correct movements, especially valuable for ACL rehabilitation and injury prevention.</li><li>Simple, portable setup: Only a camera and a small set of sensors are needed: no lab required.</li><li>Democratizing biomechanics: Quantum Movement bridges the gap between elite sports technology and the broader athletic and fitness community.</li></ul>Sport – whether that's football, swimming, mixed martial arts, or anything in between – is one of the most physically demanding occupations. Athletes are injured regularly. Training regimes become more detailed. But preparing plans for each individual is costly and complex. When starting <a href="https://www.quantmove.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quantum Movement</a>, CEO and founder Andy Barr recognized that sports biomechanics and its technology weren’t accessible enough, and only top-class athletes could access them. Everyone else, including sportspeople and those looking to improve their fitness, would rely on outdated methods of physical assessment, such as observational analysis, which lack data-driven insights.The team solved this by combining video with inertial motion capture. This allowed them to capture the smaller details, such as subtle joint rotations, acceleration, and balance, that are impossible to see with the naked eye. The goal was to bring elite insight into a format that could be used by everyday practitioners and athletes alike. Research-grade accuracyIn his work as a physical therapist, Andy had witnessed just how many practitioners used traditional forms of biomechanical analysis. Observational measurements such as range of motion, control, and strength, are now being replaced by technology and quantifiable metrics.“I had my eye on Xsens from the beginning because of its strong reputation in the research sector,” says Andy. “We often see it used in the elite sports industry because of its granular detail. I wanted to bring this research-grade accuracy to Quantum Movement and have its quality become available to more people.”The Quantum Movement system also integrates with witness camera footage, making it ideal for including visual components along with numerical information. A single camera – for example, a GoPro or the new mobile app – can be used alongside five Xsens DOT sensors to analyze almost any testing or training scenario. The Quantum Movement application captures the video footage while Xsens sensors simultaneously record highly detailed motion data, with both streams being synced together for immediate analysis.Generating real-time feedback“Our biofeedback mode allows athletes and sports enthusiasts to track their progress as they are working out,” explains Bart Piwowar, VP of Product at Quantum Movement. “Users select key metrics such as joint angle, body movement, or center of mass, and watch as the graph updates in real time.”Making this possible is Xsens’ wireless inertial sensors. The motion capture system links to a laptop or mobile device and displays its data within the Quantum Movement platform in an easy-to-read graph. Traditionally, biomechanical analysis takes place after data collection. Now, however, real-time feedback allows athletes to adjust their form and movement as they perform. “A key focus for the Quantum Movement team is anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation,” continues Bart. “It’s one of the most common and debilitating injuries in sport.” Effective recovery requires patients to progress based on clear, evidence-based criteria that indicate which activities they’re ready for and vice versa. “Without this structure, patients often either attempt movements too soon (increasing the risk of re-injury) or fail to advance when appropriate,” Bart adds. “Unfortunately, both scenarios occur far too frequently.”Quantum Movement addresses this gap by combining its software and methodology with Xsens DOT technology. Using real-time biofeedback, patients and practitioners can monitor joint angles, assess movement quality, and receive corrective feedback during rehabilitation exercises. This not only provides objective guidance throughout the recovery process but also boosts confidence, improves outcomes, and significantly reduces the likelihood of ACL re-injury.For athletes and researchersThanks to its unique toolset, the team’s technology is designed for quick and easy setup - making it accessible to technical specialists, athletes, and non-experts alike.“This is different from your usual lab-based approach,” continues Andy. “You only need a camera, a set of Xsens sensors, and somewhere to send the data to. That means you can use it in the gym, on the field, or at home, with minimal preparation required.”A new method of biomechanical analysisQuantum Movement is redefining how practitioners, athletes, and rehab professionals approach human movement analysis. By integrating Xsens inertial motion capture technology with intuitive software and camera footage, the team delivers a powerful, portable alternative to outdated, subjective systems. The result is a comprehensive, real-time solution that offers research-grade accuracy, without the complexity or exclusivity of elite-level setups.Whether it’s supporting ACL rehab, refining movement technique, or preventing injury, Quantum Movement empowers users with the data they need, when they need it. Thanks to the reliability and precision of Xsens, Quantum is helping democratize advanced biomechanics, making high-quality motion analysis accessible far beyond the world of professional sport.

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How Auburn Researchers Made Manhole Lifting Safer

Democratizing rehab and performance technology with Quantum Movement