Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (OEB) Laboratories
Our Motto
UT PROSIM THAT I MAY SERVE
Welcome to the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratories
The Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (OEB) Laboratories conduct work in theoretical and applied ergonomics, occupational biomechanics, and work physiology, primarily relating to worksite, workstation, and equipment evaluation and design. Specifically, research is focused on:
- Biomechanics of the human body (modeling, strength, motions, and working postures);
- Human engineering of systems, equipment, tools, workstations, and work tasks;
- Ergonomic design for safety, efficiency, and performance.
Major application domains for the work in the laboratories are manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. The Laboratories consist of several rooms, which are used as needed for research, development, and evaluation. Those Laboratories are well equipped to do research in a variety of areas.
OEB Lab News
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New article Use of wearable sensors for continuous field monitoring of upper arm and trunk postures among construction workers by Sol Lim and Maury Nussbaum was published in Ergonomics. (February, 2026)
Thrilled to share that two of the OEB Labs' Ph.D. students, Feyisayo "Feyi" Akinwande and Mohamad Behjati Ashtiani, have successfully defended their dissertations! Your hard work and dedication have paid off — wishing you both continued success in your careers. 🎉 (February 2026)
OEB Lab graduate student Feyisayo Akinwande (advisor: Dr. Maury Nussbaum) successfully defended his dissertation, "Assessing the Effects of Exoskeletons on Physical Demands, Trip and Slip Risks, and User Perceptions in Manual Mining Tasks." He has transitioned into an industry role, working as an EHS Ergonomics Specialist at Amgen North Carolina since December 2025. Congratulations, Dr. Akinwande! (February 2026)
OEB Lab graduate student Mohamad Behjati Ashtiani (advisor: Dr. Maury Nussbaum) successfully defended his dissertation, "Musculoskeletal Modeling of Back-Support Exoskeletons: Comparative Evaluation of Spine Loads, Muscle Activity, and Optimization Strategies." Congratulations, Dr. Behjati Ashtiani! (February 2026)
New article Rigid and soft back-support exoskeletons affect biomechanical and perceptual demands, but in different ways, during simulated shingle installation by Sunwook Kim, Maury Nussbaum, and two students, Jiwon Choi and Ahmad Raza Usmani, was published in Applied Ergonomics. (February 2026)
New article Muscle synergy analysis of short-term adaptation to arm-support exoskeletons during pseudo-static and dynamic overhead tasks by a recent OEB Lab graduate Hanjun Park and Maury Nussbaum was published in Journal of Biomechanics. (December 2025)
OEB Lab graduate student Mahdis Tajdari (advisor: Dr. Sol Lim) successfully defended her dissertation, "Navigating the Unseen: A Haptic Glove for Peripersonal Navigation in Low-Visibility Scenarios." Congratulations, Dr. Tajdari! (December 2025)
New article What drives the effective integration of lift assists in automotive assembly? Perspectives from operators, ergonomists, and manufacturers by Ahmad Raza Usmani, Sunwook Kim, and Maury Nussbaum was published in Applied Ergonomics. (December 2025)
OEB faculty Sunwook Kim (Research Associate Professor) and Sol Lim (Co-Director) were featured in VT News, Smarter robots could help autistic adults thrive in manufacturing jobs, for their fascinating research project on collaborative robots, or "cobots," which connect autistic individuals with manufacturing employment. (November 2025)
New article Model-based vs. measured muscle activity in dynamic lifting tasks with and without back-support exoskeletons by Sunwook Kim, Maury Nussbaum, and two current students, Mohamad Behjati Ashtiani and Lingyu Li, was published in Journal of Biomechanics. (November 2025)
Ahmad Raza Usmani, a graduate student in the OEB Labs, has received the Student Member with Honors Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) at their 2025 Annual Meeting in Chicago. This designation honors students who have made outstanding contribution to the discipline. Please visit the student award page to find Ahmad's name among the Most Recent Award Recipients. Congratulations, Ahmad! (October 2025)
Update (November 2025): Maury's award recogtnition was featured in VT News.
OEB Lab Co-Director Maury Nussbaum has received the 2025 Paul M. Fitts Education Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) at their Annual Meeting in Chicago. During his brief acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude to his current and former students (including 45 Ph.D. and 22 M.S. advisees), postdocs, and many others who have been part of this journey. Please visit the 2025 HFES Awards page and see Slides 7 and 9 for more information. Congratulations, Maury! (October 2025)
See all news on the News page!