Identification and Empirical Investigation of Movement Strategies for Workstation Design

This study investigates movement strategies in assembly workstations to improve ergonomic design. Movement strategies, defined as sequences of actions performed repeatedly by specific groups in specific situations, have been understudied in assembly contexts. An inductive approach was used to build a theoretical base that included knowledge, unconscious actions and hand dominance. Twenty participants performed standardized assembly tasks in standing and sitting positions, with hand and leg movements observed and qualitatively analyzed. Results revealed primary, secondary and individual movement strategies, such as right-handed participants consistently grasping objects from the right side. Future research will investigate the transferability of the identified strategies to virtual reality environments, extending their application to virtual ergonomics and simulation-based workstation design. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in human factors and ergonomics and provides a novel approach to optimizing human-centered manufacturing environments.