Semiautomatic rapid upper limb assessment methods: validation of AzKRULA

In the Industry 5.0 era, optimising working posture is crucial to reduce musculoskeletal disorder risks. Rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) is a common evaluation method, but traditional approaches are often subjective, and wearable sensors can be costly and intrusive. Optical sensors offer a more practical alternative for industrial environments. This study compares the effectiveness of an in-house application, AzKRULA based on Microsoft Azure Kinect, with Siemens Jack Tat Suit software for RULA assessment. We evaluated 15 static postures with both AzKRULA and the Jack Tat Suit software, using expert assessments as a reference. The results showed a high level of agreement between AzKRULA, expert evaluations, and the commercial software, highlighting AzKRULA as a cost-effective, rapid tool for ergonomic assessment. Thus, AzKRULA can support ergonomists and health and safety managers in assessing upper-body ergonomic risks in repetitive tasks.