BHMI: A Multi-Sensor Biomechanical Human Model Interface for Quantifying Ergonomic Stress in Armored Vehicle
Abstract
Ergonomic stress inside armored military vehicles presents a critical yet often overlooked risk to soldier safety, operational effectiveness, and long-term health. Traditional ergonomic assessments rely heavily on subjective expert evaluations, failing to capture dynamic environmental stressors such as vibration, noise, thermal fluctuations, and gas exposure during actual field operations. This study aims to address this gap by introducing the Biomechanical Human Model Interface (BHMI), a multi-sensor platform designed to objectively quantify ergonomic stress under operational conditions. The main contribution of this work is the development and validation of BHMI, which integrates anthropometric human modeling with embedded environmental sensors, enabling real-time, multi-dimensional ergonomic data acquisition during vehicle maneuvers. BHMI was deployed in high-speed off-road vehicle operations, simulating the 50th percentile Indonesian soldier’s seated posture. The system continuously monitored vibration (0–16 g range), noise (30–130 dB range), temperature (–40°C to 80°C), humidity (0–100% RH), and gas concentration (CO and NH₃) using calibrated, field-hardened sensors. Experimental results revealed ergonomic stress levels exceeding human tolerance thresholds, including vibration peaks reaching 9.8 m/s², cabin noise levels up to 100 dB, and cabin temperatures exceeding 39°C. The use of BHMI improved the repeatability and precision of ergonomic risk assessments by 27% compared to traditional methods. Seating gap deviations of up to ±270 mm were identified when soldiers wore full operational gear, highlighting critical areas of postural fatigue risk. In conclusion, BHMI represents a novel, sensor-integrated approach to ergonomic evaluation in military environments, enabling more accurate design validation, reducing subjective bias, and providing actionable insights to enhance soldier endurance, comfort, and mission readiness.
Downloads
References
U.S. Army Armor School, ARMOR IN BATTLE: Special Edition for the Armored Force 75th Anniversary. 2016.
S. F. Sarkam, L. S. Shaharuddin, B. M. Zaki, N. R. N. M. Masdek, N. J. A. Yaacob, and M. Mustapha, “Factors Influencing Safety Performance at the Construction Site,” Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci., vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 1057–1068, 2018, doi: 10.6007/ijarbss/v8-i9/4680.
W. Susihono and T. Anggi Saputri, “Identify eight aspects of ergonomics to determine the improvement of human-machine interaction work (case studies in manufacturing industry),” MATEC Web Conf., vol. 218, pp. 1–9, 2018, doi: 10.1051/matecconf/201821804018.
S. Permana et al., “Evaluasi Ergonomi pada Pistol P-1 dan Ranpur Panser APS 6x6 (Ergonomic Evaluation of the Pistol P-1 and Ranpur Panzer APS 6x6),” Oper. Excell. J. Appl. Ind. Eng., vol. 2021, no. 3, pp. 351–364, 2021.
S. Pheasant, Bodyspace : Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work, vol. 27, no. 5. 2003.
B. Hasanain, “The Role of Ergonomic and Human Factors in Sustainable Manufacturing: A Review,” Machines, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 1–27, 2024, doi: 10.3390/machines12030159.
D. N. Bhattacharyya and M. H. Saikia, Anthropometry in Interior Design, no. January. 2024.
S. Karthick, S. Kermanshachi, and A. Pamidimukkala, “Analysis of the Health and Safety Challenges Faced by Construction Workers in Extreme Hot Weather Conditions,” J. Leg. Aff. Disput. Resolut. Eng. Constr., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1–10, 2023, doi: 10.1061/jladah.ladr-882.
S. Syofian, A. Setiawan, R. Siregar, and M. Fathan, “Detection and Monitoring of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Toxic Gases in Old Vehicle Cabin (Odometer> 300k Km) and Its Relationship to Vehicle Density Using Fuzzy Method,” Proc. Conf. Broad Expo. to Sci. Technol. 2021 (BEST 2021), vol. 210, no. Best 2021, pp. 142–145, 2022, doi: 10.2991/aer.k.220131.023.
E. R. Parker, J. Mo, and R. S. Goodman, “The dermatological manifestations of extreme weather events: A comprehensive review of skin disease and vulnerability,” J. Clim. Chang. Heal., vol. 8, p. 100162, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100162.
G. A. Mutiara et al., “Integrated Sensor-Based Smart Mannequin for Injury Detection in Armored Vehicle,” Int. J. Saf. Secur. Eng., vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 625–633, 2023.
G. A. Smith and H. C. Holmberg, “Nordic skiing biomechanics and physiology,” XXVIII Int. Symp. Biomech. Sport., no. July, pp. 62–65, 2010.
G. Prakoso, H. Iridiastadi, and E. N. Saparina, “Musculoskeletal disorders analyzing of air cleaner assembly operators using Nordic body map in excavator manufacturer in Indonesia,” Oper. Excell. J. Appl. Ind. Eng., vol. 11, no. 2, p. 165, 2019, doi: 10.22441/oe.v11.2.2019.026.
M. Rosyidi, A. P. Sutarto, and N. Izzah, “Addressing Ergonomics in Paddy Milling: Insights from RULA, Nordic Body Map, and Anthropometry,” Qomaruna, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2023, doi: 10.62048/qjms.v1i1.4.
Y. Adiratna et al., “The Indonesian National Occupational Safety and Health Profile in 2022,” Ministry of ManPower of Indonesia. pp. 1–267, 2022.
C. L. Townsend and R. L. Maynard, “Effects on health of prolonged exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide,” Occup. Environ. Med., vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 708–711, 2002, doi: 10.1136/oem.59.10.708.
V. D. Bhise, Ergonomics in the automotive design process, no. 12. 2016.
D. B. Chaffin, Ronald Easterby, and K.H.E. Kroemer, “Anthropometry and Biomechanics,” in Proceedings of a NATO Symposium on Anthropometry and Biomechanics: Theory and Application, 1982, pp. 1–309, doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-1098-3.
O. Protasenko, G. Mygal, N. Kobrina, and E. Mykhailova, “Ergonomic Thinking in the Design of Human-Machine Systems,” Bull. Natl. Tech. Univ. «KhPI» Ser. New Solut. Mod. Technol., vol. 4295, no. 1(15), pp. 42–52, 2023, doi: 10.20998/2413-4295.2023.01.06.
F. P. da Silva, “Mental Workload, Task Demand and Driving Performance: What Relation?,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 162, no. Panam, pp. 310–319, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.212.
S. L. Merkus, L. K. Lunde, M. Koch, M. Wærsted, S. Knardahl, and K. B. Veiersted, “Physical capacity, occupational physical demands, and relative physical strain of older employees in construction and healthcare,” Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health, vol. 92, no. 3, pp. 295–307, 2019, doi: 10.1007/s00420-018-1377-5.
K. Waldemar and S. M. William, Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems Edited. 2015.
K. Kawai, “Causes and Prevention of Occupational Stress,” J. Dent. Med. Sci., vol. 35, no. SPECIALISSUE, pp. 107–111, 2013, doi: 10.7888/juoeh.35.107.
Gempur Santoso, “Ergonomics of Work Performance and Work Productivity Aspects,” Int. J. Integr. Sci., vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 483–488, 2023, doi: 10.55927/ijis.v2i4.3726.
S. N. Wodajeneh, D. K. Azene, B. B. Abebe, K. J. Sileyew, and G. T. Dadi, “Ergonomic risk factors analysis in remote workplace,” Theor. Issues Ergon. Sci., vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 681–697, 2023, doi: 10.1080/1463922X.2022.2135788.
S. Petrak, I. Rastovac, and M. Mahnić Naglić, “Dynamic Anthropometry – Research on Body Dimensional Changes,” Tekstilec, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 240–248, 2023, doi: 10.14502/tekstilec.66.2023031.
N. Sabri, N. K. Khamis, M. F. M. Tahir, J. Besar, and D. Abd Wahab, “Impact of Anthropometric Parameters on Pressure Variables for Determining Comfort and Safety of Automotive Seat: A Systematic Review,” Iran. J. Public Health, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 240–252, 2022, doi: 10.18502/ijph.v51i2.8678.
R. V. Fulbright, Ergonomics in Manufacturing. 1984.
R. Koirala and A. Nepal, “Literature Review on Ergonomics, Ergonomics Practices, and Employee Performance,” Quest J. Manag. Soc. Sci., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 273–288, 2022, doi: 10.3126/qjmss.v4i2.50322.
A. A. Shikdar and N. M. Sawaqed, “Worker productivity, and occupational health and safety issues in selected industries,” Comput. Ind. Eng., vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 563–572, 2003, doi: 10.1016/S0360-8352(03)00074-3.
R. G. Snyder, M. L. Spencer, C. L. Owings, and L. W. Schneider, Anthropometry of Physical Measures of Human Form in Health and Disease. 1975.
L. Wang, T. J. Lee, J. Bavendiek, and L. Eckstein, “A data-driven approach towards the full anthropometric measurements prediction via Generalized Regression Neural Networks,” Appl. Soft Comput., vol. 109, p. 107551, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.asoc.2021.107551.
A. K. Dewi, “Anthropometric Measurements of Indonesian Army Soldiers from Yonif Linud 503/ Mayangkara (Differences between Groups of Soldiers Who Participate in Agile Platoon and Soldiers Who Do Not Participate in Agile Platoon)
,” 2019.
A. A. Dennis, M. D. Joseph, and E. D.-R. Mary, Ergonomic Solutions for the Process Industries. 2015.
A. Klain et al., “The Prevention of House Dust Mite Allergies in Pediatric Asthma,” Children, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 1–15, 2024, doi: 10.3390/children11040469.
N. B. Gill, P. D. Dowker-Key, M. Hedrick, and A. Bettaieb, “Unveiling the Role of Oxidative Stress in Cochlear Hair Cell Death: Prospective Phytochemical Therapeutics against Sensorineural Hearing Loss,” Int. J. Mol. Sci., vol. 25, no. 8, pp. 1–35, 2024, doi: 10.3390/ijms25084272.
K. Krajnak, “Health effects associated with occupational exposure to hand-arm or whole body vibration,” J. Toxicol. Environ. Heal. - Part B Crit. Rev., vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 320–334, 2018, doi: 10.1080/10937404.2018.1557576.
S. Sumardiyono, A. Probandari, D. Hanim, S. Handayani, and I. H. Susilowati, “Effectiveness of Ergonomic Chair against Musculoskeletal Disorders in Female Batik Workers of Sragen District,” Makara J. Heal. Res., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 1–9, 2014, doi: 10.7454/msk.v18i2.4074.
T. Fredericks and C. Butts, “Objectively determining comfortable lumbar support in task seating,” Haworth, pp. 1–7, 2006.
M. A. Márquez and J. M. Garcia, “Ergonomics of urban public passangers transportation,” in 9th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference 2006, Conference Proceedings, 2006, vol. 2006, no. 9, pp. 1–15.
A. O. Ajayeoba and L. O. Adekoya, “Evaluation of the ergonomic suitability of passenger seats in molue buses in Nigeria,” J. Mech. Eng., vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 4–11, 2012, [Online]. Available: http://researchpub.org/journal/jme/number/vol1-no2/vol1-no2-1.pdf.
T. Wróbel, M. Szudrowicz, W. Luty, and J. Seńko, “Military special vehicle multifunctional seat as an element of vehicle passive safety,” IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng., vol. 1247, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2022, doi: 10.1088/1757-899x/1247/1/012031.
T. K. Kapuria, “Ergonomic Design of Table and Chair based on QFD and Anthropometric Measurement and improved Facility Layout,” Ergon. Int. J., vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 1–6, 2018, doi: 10.23880/eoij-16000146.
M. P. Reed and S. M. Ebert, “The Seated Soldier Study: Posture and Body Shape in Vehicle Seats,” University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, no. January. pp. 1–33, 2013.
M. Sydor and M. Hitka, “Chair Size Design Based on User Height,” Biomimetics, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2023, doi: 10.3390/biomimetics8010057.
D. B. Chaffin, “On simulating human reach motions for ergonomics analyses,” Hum. Factors Ergon. Manuf., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 235–247, 2002, doi: 10.1002/hfm.10018.
M. P. Reed and S. M. Ebert, “The Seated Soldier Study: Posture and Body Shape in Vehicle Seats,” 2013.
Copyright (c) 2025 Giva Andriana Mutiara, Hardy Adiluhung, Periyadi Periyadi, Muhammad Rizqy Alfarisi, Lisda Meisaroh

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlikel 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).