Fusion of biomedical and physical data for assessment of human performance in high speed marine craft

The aim of this study is to investigate human factors specific to high-speed craft operation during transits at sea. For that purpose, a pilot methodology to simultaneously measure and synchronize boat and human physiological data during a transit was designed and conducted. Some measures of interest in the study were seat motions and vibration coupled with head motions, heart rate and the activity of certain spinal muscles. The surface electromyography (EMG) signals were used in order to investigate if the fatiguing characteristics of the lumbar spine muscles of a RIB crew change over time. Additionally, the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were used to analyze the effect of body vibrations on heart rate variabilit