Modeling of human physiological stresses: A thermodynamics-based approach

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Boregowda, Satish C.^a | Karwowski, Waldemar^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA | [b] Center for Industrial Ergonomics, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: karwowski@louisville.edu

Abstract: This paper discusses thermodynamic basis for quantifying human physiological stresses. The deterministic nature of the second law of thermodynamics (entropy approach) and classical Maxwell relations were used to develop formulas to quantify human stress due to the artifact-human interactions. The illustrative examples establishing the validity of the proposed stress indices were presented.

Keywords: Ergonomics, thermodynamics, stress, physiological responses, human performance

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2005-5404

Journal: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 235-248, 2005