The Thingy
The Thingy
The Thingy – Motion and Performance Centre, University of Worcester
“The Thingy, as featured on BBC’s “The Apprentice,” is a novel spade accessory which adds an additional handle to improve posture and ergonomics during the shovelling action.
The Motion and Performance Centre was approached by the West Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service to provide a biomechanical analysis of The Thingy. The Centre’s 3-dimensional motion capture system was used to track the movement of key body parts and the shovel.
Reduced hip, pelvic and thoracic flexion were all measured with the overall observation that there was ~20% less bending over with the Thingy compared to a standard spade design. Sagittal (front-back) back flexion is known to be the highest risk component in the shovelling action.
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