Fig. 1: Mockup of redesigned bus operator's workstation. Click for 300DPI image.
207S Hammond Bldg.
Tel:814-863-2361
Fax:814-863-4745
Email:axf@psu.edu
Dr. Freivalds' research and teaching interests are in biomechanics and ergonomics. His expertise in biomechanical modeling began in the Center for Ergonomics while assisting on the development of the University of Michigan Three Dimensional Biomechanical Strength Prediction Model. He later held a Faculty Summer Research Fellowship at the Bioengineering and Biodynamics Division of Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio, during which time he became proficient with and developed a neuromusculature for the Articulated Total Body Model. Dr. Freivalds is also a Faculty Associate at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute and has directed several studies funded by U.S. Dept. of Transportation for detecting alcohol-impaired drivers and developing an ergonomic bus-operator workstation. The latter design utilized both Mannequin and Jack human-modeling programs (shown in the photographs).
More recently Dr. Freivalds has been concerned with the reduction of cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) in U.S. industries through ergonomic tool and workplace design. This effort has led to the founding of the Center for Cumulative Trauma Disorders with the cooperation of the Ben Franklin Partnership of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This center has served as the source of ergonomic services for over 50 small- and medium-sized Pennsylvania companies in controlling their workplace hazards. As part of these services, an innovative >touch= glove measuring both wrist and hand movements and the grip pressure during tool handling have been developed to better quantify the stresses of workers employed on hazardous jobs. This has resulted in the development of the PSU CTD Risk Index, which has demonstrated a 50-80% predictive ability. In addition with the cooperation of the Hershey Medical Center, he has been studying individual attributes (i.e. gender, age, physical fitness, anthropometry, wrist size) that may have a contributing effect on an individual's likelihood for developing cumulative trauma disorders.
Fig. 1: Mockup of redesigned bus operator's workstation. Click for 300DPI image.
Fig. 2: Computer simulation of bus operator's workstation. Click for 300 DPI image.
You, H., Simmons, Z., Freivalds, A., Kothari, J. and Naidu, S. (1999) Relationships between clinical symptom severity scales and nerve conduction measures in carpal tunnel syndrome, to appear in Muscle & Nerve, 22.
Seth, V., Weston, R.L. and Freivalds, A. (1998) Development of a cumulative trauma disorder risk assessment model,@ International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 23(4):281-292.
You, H.C., Bucciaglia, J., Lowe, B., Gilmore, B.J., and Freivalds, A. (1997) An ergonomic design process for a U.S. transit bus operator workstation,@ The International Journal of Vehicle Design, 4:91-107.
Yun, M.H., Cannon, D., Freivalds, A., and Thomas, G. (1997) An instrumented glove for grasp specification in virtual reality based point-and-direct telerobotics@, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 27(5):835-846.
Miller, S.A. and Freivalds, A. (1995) A stress-strength interference model for predicting CTD probabilities, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 12:447-457.
Davidoff, N.A., and Freivalds, A. (1994). A graphic model of the human hand using CATIA. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 11: 255-264.
Lin, C., J. H. Goldberg, and Freivalds, A. (1993). A non-exoskeleton optoelectric wrist goniometer. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 11: 233-242.
Fogleman, M. T., A Freivalds, and Goldberg, J. H. (1993). An ergonomic evaluation of knives for two poultry cutting tasks. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 11: 257-265.
Freivalds, A and Eklund, J. (1993). Reaction torques and operator stress while using powered nutrunners. Applied Ergonomics 24: 158-164.
Freivalds, A., and Park, D. (1992). Development of a risk assessment model for cumulative trauma disorders. Arbete och Halsa 17: 92-94.
Lee, C. M., A. Freivalds, and Lee, S. Y. (1991). Biodynamic Simulations of the Effect of a neck-Mounted Air Bag on the Head/Neck Response during High G Acceleration. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, August, 747-753.