Development of Pant-Type Harness with Fabric Air-Pocket for Pain Relief

Abstract

Harnesses can be used in various applications, such as entertainment, rescue operations, and medical applications. Because users are supported on the harness for a long time, they should feel comfortable wearing the harnesses. However, existing commercial harnesses are uncomfortable to wear and cause continuous serious pain. Therefore, in this study, a new pant-type harness with a fabric air pocket to reduce the applied pressure on the body, especially in the groin, is proposed. Keeping this in mind, we have designed and developed the pant-type harness. In addition, we performed pressure and contact area measurement experiments using the harness developed, pressure sensor, and a human mannequin. Peak and mean pressures and contact areas near the groin and waist were measured in the experiments. From the results, when air is injected in the air pockets, the peak pressure and contact area near the waist increased, and the peak pressure near the groin decreased. This means that the pressure applied on the human mannequin near the groin reduces because of the increased contact area near the waist, which is achieved by multi-layered air pockets. In this study, we proposed the optimal design of a novel pant-type harness that can address the limitations of existing harnesses. The proposed harness can be used for a prolonged time in applications, such as virtual reality entertainment, rescue operations, and rehabilitation.

Design and psychometric analysis of the safety harness usability and comfort assessment tool (SH UCAT)

“…In Nam's study, the pressure caused by harnesses was measured in different areas of the waist and thighs using a pressure gauge sensor. It was concluded that an optimal harness design could overcome the existing harness limitations and lead to user comfort [ 15 ]. Lee et al evaluated the pressure on people's bodies when using commercial harnesses and found that the pressure caused by harnesses made people uncomfortable, in such a way that they were not willing to use harnesses.…”

“…Therefore, the harness design should help them feel comfortable and satisfied. However, commercially available harnesses cause discomfort as well as severe and persistent pain for end-users [ 15 ]. In addition, users should be mentally evaluated to determine their willingness or unwillingness for wearing harnesses [ 16 ], because harnesses may be present in the workplace but may not be used properly due to dissatisfaction and discomfort) [ 17 ].…”

Identification and classification of factors affecting the non-use of safety harness at height among construction workers in Tehran

“…In this regard, qualitative studies could be used in interviews and software. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the critical factors and take corrective and preventive measures [ 24 , 25 ].…”