Feasibility Study for Wearable Sensor-Based Vibrotactile Feedback for Posture and Muscle Activation in a Relevant Dentistry Setting

Demir Tuken; Samuel J Murphy; Robert D Bowers; Rachel V Vitali

doi:10.3390/s25185891

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Feasibility Study for Wearable Sensor-Based Vibrotactile Feedback for Posture and Muscle Activation in a Relevant Dentistry Setting

Demir Tuken, Samuel J Murphy, Robert D Bowers and Rachel V Vitali

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.25(18), 5891

09/20/2025

DOI: 10.3390/s25185891

PMCID: PMC12473972

PMID: 41013129

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Abstract

This feasibility study evaluated a wearable sensor-based haptic feedback system designed to promote ergonomic awareness and influence posture and muscle activation patterns during a standard dental procedure. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) monitored posture by tracking back and neck angles, while four surface electromyography sensors recorded muscle activation in the lower erector spinae (LES) and upper trapezius (UT) muscles. Two IMUs with vibrotactile motors delivered real-time haptic feedback when participants maintained mechanically disadvantageous postures for extended periods during a cast metal crown preparation procedure on a manikin typodont. Data from four dental students participating in a total of 24 trials, half with and half without feedback, were analyzed via a two-way ANOVA to determine the effects of feedback and activity (e.g., inspections or drilling) on posture and muscle activation. Feedback slightly increased neck angles, but back angles remained nominally unchanged. Reduced UT activation and increased right LES activation suggests altered muscle recruitment strategies. Heatmap and RULA analyses indicated a shift toward more varied and potentially safer postural distributions during feedback trials. Postural and muscle activation data were also analyzed across four activity labels, which revealed that Drilling was consistently associated with higher ergonomic risk. Real-time haptic feedback influenced posture and muscle activation in dental students, particularly by reducing UT strain despite increased neck flexion. These findings support the integration of wearable feedback systems into preclinical training to enhance ergonomic awareness and potentially reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders, to which dentists are particularly prone.

Electromyography

Ergonomics

Feasibility Studies

Adult

Dentistry - methods

Female

Humans

Male

Muscle, Skeletal - physiology

Posture - physiology

Vibration

Wearable Electronic Devices

Young Adult

Details

Title: Subtitle: Feasibility Study for Wearable Sensor-Based Vibrotactile Feedback for Posture and Muscle Activation in a Relevant Dentistry Setting
Creators: Demir Tuken - University of Iowa
Samuel J Murphy - University of Iowa
Robert D Bowers - University of Iowa
Rachel V Vitali - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.25(18), 5891
DOI: 10.3390/s25185891
PMID: 41013129
PMCID: PMC12473972
NLM abbreviation: Sensors (Basel)
ISSN: 1424-8220
eISSN: 1424-8220
Publisher: MDPI
Grant note: T42 OH008491 / NIOSH CDC HHS EDP116S210005 / U. S. Department of Education
Language: English
Date published: 09/20/2025
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Family Dentistry; Mechanical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984966334502771

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