Ergonomics Simulation for Schoolchildren Using Virtual Reality (VRGo)

VRGo is a virtual reality (VR) application developed to serve as a platform to gain
awareness among students in relation to schoolchildren ergonomics. In this work,
schoolchildren ergonomics are referred as comfortable ways of sitting in classroom as
well as the correct posture of carrying school backpack with the right weight. Poor
ergonomics can lead to negative impact to health which is musculoskeletal pain. During
class, student regularly sit with poor stance, having their trunk, back, and neck flexed or
turned for long periods which can increase musculoskeletal pain from the classroom
environment. Therefore, by trying to apply virtual environment in the learning process
through VRGo application, this would as much grab the children interest about
ergonomics and making them absorb the materials even more compared to the previous
conventional ways of learning and training methods. It is surely will be interactive and
fun to the school-aged children as Virtual Reality has 3D elements in it which can let
them imagine it inside their head and be stored as memory. There are several objectives
of this study which are to identify the suitable method in creating simulation in virtual
reality, to develop schoolchildren ergonomics VRGo prototype application and also to
conduct the test of functionality for VRGo. Survey and questionnaire based on Standard
Nordic Body Map Questionnaire (SNBMQ) is done at a school in Kedah for 9 and 11
years old children to gather information of ergonomics among the students. Unity 3D
and C# scripting along with Google Cardboard are used to develop the application.