Assessment of Discomfort Due to Motorscooter Hand-Transmitted Vibration

Hand-transmitted vibration may be a cause of discomfort for two-wheeled vehicles. While there are international standards for the assessment of comfort in whole-body vibration exposure, there are not equivalent guidelines for hand transmitted vibrations. The present study analyzes accelerometer data acquired in road testing with various approaches in order to compare different criteria that could be adopted for comfort assessment in two wheeled vehicles. The ISO standard 5349-1986(E), which is specific for health risks, uses the maximum acceleration of the surface in contact with the hand, suitably weighted. But many researchers suggest particular weight functions and also energetic approaches (transmitted and/or absorbed energy). The effects of the grip force and of the speed of the vehicle have also been considered.