Fatigue is a major factor in limiting production through a decrease in efficiency. Resulting from a given sustained level of activity, fatigue depends in part upon the number, location, and length of rest breaks. Eilon and Gentzler et al. have developed models aimed at productivity improvement through the determination of optimal rest break policy. However, Eilon's model is limited to one rest break with an unbounded recovery function and Gentzler's et al. models assumed that full recovery during a rest break was an optimal policy and that full recovery could always be achieved with a rest break of some fixed length. / This paper presents two multi-rest break models that have improved upon the validity of these previous models through proof, rather than presumption of the optimality of full recovery for linear functions, the inclusion of a specific, bounded recovery function, and the addition of rest break penalities. Moreover, the unique closed form optimal solution is produced in the k-rest break penalty-free case, and an efficient optimal solution algorithm is produced in the k-rest break penalty case. The model for the latter case is referred to as the VKP Model (Variable-k Model with penalty). In addition, these solution procedures avoid the complications inherent in quadratic programming. / The VKP Model was then applied to the task of riding a bicycle ergometer. During the process of implementing the model a technique for determining recovery was developed. The application of the model demonstrated that when subjects used the rest break policies prescribed by the model, their level of output was higher than when they used their own policy. Further, the rest breaks prescribed by the VKP Model tended to be front-loaded; i.e., they tended to occur early in the time horizon thus keeping the work rate at a high level. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: A, page: 2395. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74874 |
| Contributors | JANARO, RALPH EDWARD., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 277 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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