Performance of a complex manual control task during exposure to vertical whole-body vibration between 0·5 and 5·0 Hz

Abstract

An experiment is described in which seated subjects performed first-order pursuit tracking with a simultaneous discrete task; performance with the discrete task was dependent on performance of the continuous task. Vertical, z-axis, whole-body sinusoidal vibration was presented at frequencies from 0·5 to 5·0Hz at an acceleration magnitude of 2·0 ms⁻² r.m.s. in three separate sessions. In the first session, inter-subject and intra-subject variability masked any disruption caused by the vibration. After further training, all vibration frequencies disrupted performance of the continuous task. Disruption was independent of vibration frequency below 3·15Hz and increased at 4·0 and 5·0Hz. A visual mechanism was assumed to account for the increased disruption at these higher frequencies. Mechanisms which may have been responsible for the disruption below 3·15 Hz are discussed. Effects of vibration on the discrete task were attributable to disruption in performance of the continuous task. The results illustrate the importance of adequately training subjects prior to investigating vibration effects.

Keywords:

• Environment
• Whole-body vibration
• Manual control
• Human performance

Additional information

Notes on contributors

R. W. MCLEOD

Current address: YARD Ltd, Charing Cross Tower, Glasgow G2 4PP, Scotland, U.K.