Browse Topic: Ergonomics

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A method of selectively elevating a Seamless Switch Integrated in Fabric2026-26-05961/16/2026
This research presents the construction and working principle of Selectively Elevated Seamless Fabric Switch technology aimed at advancing automotive interior design through enhanced aesthetics, functionality, and user experience by providing a tactile surface that is available for operation only during the activated, elevated state. Traditional mechanical switches often suffer from issues such as dust and water ingress, accidental activation, and a fragmented visual profile. The proposed system integrates concealed controls sandwiched with a fabric surface, with switches selectively elevated only upon user interaction. The design incorporates conductive fabric layers and electromagnetic actuation to achieve seamless integration with vehicle interiors while maintaining responsive tactile feedback. The input provided for activating the switch can be a signal such as gesture or proximity of the user’s finger. Upon activation the switch is selectively elevated and ready for operation due
Mohunta, Sanjay, Panchal, Girish, Puthran, Shaunak
Prediction of Involuntary Knee Engagement on Dashboard Controls to Prevent Potential Accidents for Drivers in Passenger Cars2024-26-00101/16/2024
Ergonomics plays an important role in safety, comfort and convenience of occupants in passenger cars. Customers come in different anthropometry; have different preferences and exhibit different seating behaviors while driving a car. Integration of dashboard and in the vehicle has become a challenging task with sophisticated interior styling themes aimed at satisfying the increasing customer demands. The dashboard design is becoming more futuristic, leading to complex integration of parts in the cockpit area. This has a deteriorating effect on the driver knee clearance. In general, the postures of drivers are within a presumable range of prediction. However, there exists 'out-of-customary' behaviors while driving a vehicle. Drivers tend to sit in a slouched posture and this leads to an involuntary knee engagement on the dashboard, which has many switches and controls. This could lead to activation of any switches on dashboard including critical controls like EPB (Electronic Parking
Rajakumaran, Sriram, Devan, Rohan Maruti, MANEKAR, RAHUL, BABALESHWAR, VINOD, KUNNANATH, JASAR
Snap-fits evaluation for minimizing the Squeak & Rattle in Automotive2025-01-00915/5/2023
The world of plastic products has been growing due to its versatile properties, which have become an intrinsic and fundamental part of the engineering of new products. The most important aspects contributing to this spectacular growth are the design and assembly, making sure that plastic parts are designed optimally. The safety requirements have been increased due to the safety ratings and thus interior parts must provide more absorption and protection to occupants. The main connection types used in the plastic parts are heat stakes and snap fits. The purpose of a good snap fit is not only to have a high retention effort but also to present ergonomic characteristics with low insertion and extraction effort because each part requires a different function. With the time-dependent loading the material will redistribute its internal energy thereby performing a time-related flow leading to reduced pretension thus decreasing stiffness. This paper presents an analytical and numerical method
MICHAEL STEPHAN, NAVIN ESTAC RAJA, C M, MITHUN, Mohammed, Riyazuddin
Anthropometric Accommodation and Ergonomics in the MH-60S NextGen Gunners SeatF-0077-2021-167495/10/2021
ABSTRACT
Basham, Lori, Blankenship,  Justin, Koch,  Andrew
Numeral, Letter and Symbol Dimensions for Aircraft Instrument DisplaysAIR1093B (Current)4/1/2020
The purpose of this AIR is to provide recommendations for the minimum dimensions of characters and symbols used in aircraft instrument dials and panel displays as related to the conditions stated in para. 3. Numerous variables influence the legibility of aircraft instrument dial characters. This situation makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to establish an exact act of rules for optimizing all installations. Character size, one of the important considerations, can be optimized where adequate dial space exists. Usually this is not the case and the designer is faced with placing the information in a limited space while continuing to strive for error-free legibility. Appropriate minimum size requirements have been stated herein for guidance in air transport use.
A-4 Aircraft Instruments Committee
Lightweight Exosuit Combines Robotics and Functional ApparelTBMG-3526310/1/2019
Between walking and running, human gaits can cover a wide range of speeds; for example, at low speeds, the metabolic rate of walking is lower than that of running in a slow jog. The opposite also is true: at high speeds, the metabolic cost of running is lower than that of speed-walking.
Smart, Soft, Back Orthosis Uses Real-Time Motion DetectionTBMG-346136/1/2019
Back pain is inevitable with constrained posture over a number of hours. Permanent damage such as premature spine wear is not uncommon in people who do not adopt proper ergonomic posture. The same applies to those who frequently lift heavy objects.
Comparison Study of Malaysian Driver Seating Position in SAEJ1517 Accommodation Model06-12-02-00064/8/2019
A key element in an ergonomically designed driver’s seat in a car is the correct identification of driver seating position and posture accommodation. Current practice by the automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is to utilize the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) J1517 standard practice as a reference. However, it was found that utilizing such guidelines, which were developed based on the American population, did not fit well with the anthropometry and stature of the Malaysian population. This research seeks to address this issue by comparing the SAE J1517 Model against Malaysian preferred driving position. A total of 62 respondents were involved for the driver seating position and accommodation study in the vehicle driver’s seat buck mockup survey and measurements. The results have shown that the Malaysian drivers prefer to sit forward as compared to the SAE J1517 Model and have shorter posture joint angle. This could significantly affect the design of the driver seat
Rashid, Zuli’zam, Bakar, Nooh Abu, Dolah, Rozzeta, Ghazilla, Raja Ariffin Raja
Development of the Next Generation Flexible Tooling System2019-01-13623/19/2019
Flexible Tooling Systems have been developed as a reconfigurable part support system to enable trimming of multiple part geometries utilizing a single router or waterjet. The driver for this development has been improved part quality, elimination of ergonomic issues associated with manually trimming, and the elimination of cost for part number specific hard tooling and the associated cost for manufacturing, maintenance, and storage. This paper will briefly trace the evolution of aerospace parts trimming history. The remainder of the report will focus on the technical objectives associated with the development of the Next Generation Flexible Tooling System, how they were achieved including the process for validation of each support location in aircraft coordinates. This system is designed to increase part holding accuracy with specific support location validation, and significantly reduce system maintenance costs in wet or dry environments.
Kirby, Larry, Weddle, Ronald
Q&A: Siyi Xu, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MATBMG-339303/1/2019
Working with teams from Harvard, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Children's Hospital, Siyi Xu developed a soft, non-toxic, wearable sensor that attaches to the hand and measures grasp force and the motion of the hand and fingers. The sensor is designed to identify neuromotor disabilities in prematurely born children.
Directory of Databases Part I - Whole Body Anthropometry SurveysAIR5145A (Current)11/2/2018
This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) lists whole body anthropometric surveys and provides current sources for the survey raw data and summary statistics.
G-45 Human Systems Integration
Smart Garment Prevents Back StressTBMG-2743010/1/2017
A team of engineers has combined the science of biomechanics and advances in wearable tech to create a smart, mechanized undergarment. The team’s testing proves that the smart clothing offloads stress on the low back.
Characterizing Vehicle Occupant Body Dimensions and Postures Using a Statistical Body Shape Model2017-01-04973/28/2017
Reliable, accurate data on vehicle occupant characteristics could be used to personalize the occupant experience, potentially improving both satisfaction and safety. Recent improvements in 3D camera technology and increased use of cameras in vehicles offer the capability to effectively capture data on vehicle occupant characteristics, including size, shape, posture, and position. In previous work, the body dimensions of standing individuals were reliably estimated by fitting a statistical body shape model (SBSM) to data from a consumer-grade depth camera (Microsoft Kinect). In the current study, the methodology was extended to consider seated vehicle occupants. The SBSM used in this work was developed using laser scan data gathered from 147 children with stature ranging from 100 to 160 cm and BMI from 12 to 27 kg/m2 in various sitting postures. A principal component (PC) analysis was conducted based on these scans along with the manually-measured body landmarks, and 100 PC scores were
Park, Byoung-Keon Daniel, Reed, Matthew P.
Vision Factors Considerations in Rearview Mirror DesignJ985_201611 (Historical)11/7/2016
The design and location of rear-viewing mirrors or systems, and the presentation of the rear view to the driver can best be achieved if the designer and the engineer have adequate references available on the physiological functions of head and eye movements and on the perceptual capabilities of the human visual system. The following information and charts are provided for this purpose. For more complete information of the relationship of vision to forward vision, see SAE SP-279.
Driver Vision Standards Committee
Robonaut 2: Industrial OpportunitiesTBMG-2572211/1/2016
Researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), in collaboration with General Motors (GM) and Oceaneering, have designed a state-of-the-art, highly dexterous, humanoid robot: Robonaut 2 (R2). R2’s nearly 50 patented and patent-pending technologies have the potential to be game-changers in many applications, such as industrial environments. For example, in a traditional robotic assembly line, there are multiple specialized robots that are tooled for a small set of unique tasks. R2 provides an alternative way to implement automated assembly using extraordinary task flexibility, dexterity, and rapid interchangeability with human processes and tools. This can lower automation infrastructure costs and increase manufacturing flexibility. R2 can serve as an assistant or work independently. R2’s dexterity is a key feature in industrial environments, as the robot can handle factory work that is ergonomically difficult, fatiguing, or even unsafe.
How to Enhance Gear Shift Feel of North-South Transmission Layout2016-01-235710/17/2016
Globalization has intensively driven focus of car manufacturers on comfort and ergonomics. Luxuries are becoming essential features of product mix. Customer’s expectations and desires are changing because of cut throat competition and increasing variety of options. In order to sustain in marketplace, OEM has to be competitive while providing features and options with appropriate quality. Vigorously changing dimensions and definitions of comfort level, luxury and aesthetics has driven the intense focus of OEM’s on customer touch points, customer touch points are those components of vehicle which customer accesses while driving the vehicle and they play vital role in generating drive feel of vehicle. Customer’s drive feel about the vehicle is most complex and critical factor and is of subjective nature. Now days drive feel is an important aspect of product differentiation. Gear shift feel is very crucial touch point in overall drive feel of vehicle. Customer desires overall Gear shift
Gurav, Onkar P., Deshmane, Santosh
Next Generation Smart Crashworthy Crew SeatsF-0072-2016-114155/17/2016
The next generation smart crashworthy crew seats will need to include design features that provide an enhanced level of crash safety while reducing the crew discomfort during long military missions. This paper presents the results from the Active Crash Protection Systems Enhancements II Program jointly funded by the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate - Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (ADD-AATD) and The Boeing Company under a Technology Investment Agreement. During this program a prototype crew seat design concept with actively-controlled seat energy absorbers was developed and integrated with an aircraft active crash protection system. The actively-controlled seat energy absorber technology developed enables automatic adjustment of the stroking load of the energy absorbers based on the occupant weight, available seat stroke, and the predicted crash impact conditions in order to provide an increased level of crash safety to the crew. The paper also includes results and
Bolukbasi, Akif
Front-Loading of Occupant Ingress-Egress Targets in Vehicle Architecture2016-01-00044/5/2016
Achieving comfortable Ingress-Egress (I/E) is a major ergonomic challenge for Occupant packaging engineers during vehicle design. Vehicles should be designed so that the targeted drivers are able to comfortably get in and out of it. Simulating occupant ingress/egress motion for vehicle involves many constraints and capturing actual behavior of human motion is cumbersome. In recent years, there are number of studies to investigate occupant ingress/egress motion and to understand perceived discomfort, influence of specific design parameters, age impact etc. These studies majorly used techniques like real time motion capturing in a vehicle mockup, comparison of joint torques developed during the ingress/egress motions etc., to identify the occupants discomfort aspects. This paper aims to capture the ingress/egress influencing parameters and incorporating the parameters in vehicle architecture layout during concept phase itself considering various anthropometric measurements. The critical
Dharmar, Ganesh, Radakrishnan, Rambabu, Premananth, Subramanian, Padattil, Sarath
Human Factors Drivers Behind Next Generation AV2020 Cockpit Display2015-01-25379/15/2015
The efficiency of the glass cockpit paradigm has faded away with the densification of the aeronautical environment. Today's problem lies with “non-defective aircraft” monitored by “perfectly trained crews” still involved in fatal accidents. One explanation is, at crew level, that we have reached a system complexity that, while acceptable in normal conditions, is hardly compatible with human cognitive abilities in degraded conditions. The current mitigation of such risk still relies on the enforcement through intensive training of an ability to manage extremely rare (off-normal) situations. These are explained by the potential combination of failures of highly complex systems with variable environment & with variable humans. Looking back into the limits and strengths of operators, we have selected very basic knowledge on human cognitive strategies that enabled us to revisit and review our design principles to give back to pilots the ability to stay in the loop: not through the
Hourlier, Sylvain
Aerospace Standard 6228 Developed to Support Improved Productivity and Reduce Occupational Disease Among Powered Hand Tool Operators2015-01-24859/15/2015
A joint US Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) project initially addressing procurement criteria for powered hand tools stimulated involvement of the SAE EG1-B Hand Tools committee and affiliated industry participants, producers of powered hand tools. It became apparent of the need to develop a standard that addresses occupational disease, productivity, life-cycle cost in the selection of Hand Power Tools. Committee efforts focused upon development of an SAE International Standard that considers productivity hand-arm vibration, noise, other safety and health factors and life-cycle costs in procurement criteria for powered hand tools. Aerospace Standard, AS 6228 Safety Requirements for Procurement, Maintenance and Use of Hand-held Powered Tools, was published in September 2014. Concurrently, a new committee, EG1-B1, Powered hand tools, productivity, Ergonomics and Safety, evolved from the
Geiger, Mark Benjamin, Ster, John Michael
Analysis and optimization of All Terrain Wheelchair2015-01-13684/14/2015
An all-terrain wheelchair is a lever propelled wheelchair which enables an individual to drive on all terrains easily as the driving mechanism is efficient, ergonomic and fast. It also increases the reach capabilities and social boundaries of disabled. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, a comparative study of push rim wheelchair and All-terrain Wheelchair (lever propelled) has been done. In the second part, Optimization of this All-terrain Wheelchair has been done. The comparison is done on various parameters such as peak velocity, average velocity, acceleration, retardation, stroke frequency, reduction in effort, mechanical efficiency, obstacle climbing ability, turning radius, the distance travelled per stroke, Pressure cuts and burns caused during propelling the chair. Biomechanical testing is also done considering the heart rate and oxygen consumption level. This information was used to determine the energy demand, which is intrinsically connected to a
Agarwal, Shikhar, Gautam, Saumya
Shipping Caps, Torque Caps, and Body Plugs Ergonomic Design CriteriaUSCAR43 (Current)3/30/2015
This document describes the design and assembly force guidelines for conventional shipping caps, torque caps, and body plugs. All possible design and applications could not be anticipated in creating these guidelines. Where there are questions of adherence to to this document, such as use of an “off-the-shelf” design, always consult the responsible Ergonomics Department.
USCAR
Driver Ergonomics in City Buses and Coaches2014-01-24249/30/2014
Bus and coach drivers spend considerably more time in the vehicle, compared to an average personal car user. However, when it comes to comfort levels, the personal cars, even the inexpensive hatchbacks score much higher than a standard bus. This is because the amount of ergonomic design considerations that go into designing a car's DWS (driver workspace) is much more than that of buses. To understand this lacuna, the existing standards and recommendations pertaining directly or remotely to bus driver workspace were studied. It was understood, beyond certain elementary recommendations, there were very few standards available exclusively for buses. This paper ventures to establish a set of guidelines, exclusively for designing bus and coach driver workspace. The various systems in the driver's work space and their relevance to driver's ergonomics are discussed. References are drawn from different case studies and standards to come up with recommendations and guidelines. For those aspects
Shekar, Vignesh T., Reddy, Sreedhar
Boeing's CST-100 Unveiled to the World117137/25/2013
NASA astronauts Serena Aunon and Randy Bresnik conducted flight suit evaluations inside a fully outfitted test version of The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft July 22, the first time the world got a glimpse of the crew capsule's interior. Boeing is one of three American companies working with the agency's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective crew transportation systems during the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to make commercial human spaceflight services available for government and commercial customers.
Navigation Aids Enhance Foot Control UsabilityTBMG-156972/1/2013
The ever-increasing functional capabilities of emerging medical de vices have precipitated new requirements for the multi-function foot controls used to operate the equipment. These foot controls typically consist of multiple actuators, one for each required control function.
Configuring Complex Part Designs for Prosthetic DevicesTBMG-1530012/1/2012
ToughWare Prosthetics, an engineering and design group dedicated to developing innovative new assistive technologies, helps satisfy the global need for prosthetic devices that are inexpensive, designed to enable intense physical activity, labor, self-reliance, and are easy to maintain. The company, inspired by the many personal stories of hope, strength, determination, and endurance shared by amputees around the world, became aware of the great need for inexpensive assistive devices that are robust and highly functional.
Hyperpolarized Metabolic Imaging Visualizes ‘Real-Time’ Disease ProgressTBMG-146399/1/2012
Most major diseases are somehow linked to metabolic alterations. But being able to see the changes as they occur and to see if a treatment is working in ‘real time’ is now nearer at hand thanks to Hyperpolarized Metabolic Imaging. This technology has created new possibilities to non-invasively study biochemical changes in disease processes by improving the sensitivity of Magnetic Resonance by more than 20,000-fold as reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Improving Wheelchair ErgonomicsTBMG-133244/1/2012
Engineers at Empa, a Swiss interdisciplinary research and services institution, are working together with the firm «r going» to develop an ergonomic seat for electric wheelchairs that encourages the user to move around frequently. The aim is to enhance the freedom of movement of wheelchair users with a range of disabilities.
Fast, High-Precision Eye-Surgery RobotTBMG-127611/1/2012
A smart eye-surgery robot, developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands, allows eye surgeons to operate with increased ease and precision on the retina and the vitreous humor of the eye. It also extends the effective period during which ophthalmologists can carry out these intricate procedures.
Ergonomic Considerations of Clutch Pedal Design for a Heavy Commercial Vehicle2011-28-009210/6/2011
This paper gives focus on the ergonomic design of the clutch pedal. The parameters considered includes height of clutch actuation point (CAP) from cabin floor mat, lateral position from steering column and engine tunnel, size and angle of foot pad, texture design of rubber cover, maximum pedal travel packaging considering variants, force, and modulation requirements. Development of clutch pedal assembly is carried out by considering collected anthropometric data for large population range. With a set of questionnaire asked to number of drivers on their habit of keeping foot on the clutch pedal which causes fatigue and phenomena of clutch riding (results in wear of clutch disc).
Ravan, Girish, Baranwal, Shatrunjoy, Paranjape, Shekhar, Sahasrabudhe, Niteen
Tear-Based Glucose Sensor for Diabetes MonitoringTBMG-102276/1/2011
Diabetic control typically requires daily monitoring of blood glucose levels. This involves finger pricking 2–10 times a day in order to obtain a sample for assay. Many find the finger prick tedious or painful and fall into noncompliance. Others may also dislike the assorted “paraphernalia” that must be carried around. Research into the “next-tech” for diabetes care has led many researchers to investigate tear glucose sensing as an alternative. As promising as many of these devices are, they are many years from market. Here the development of a near market tear glucose sensor is reported.
Tear-Based Glucose Sensor for Diabetes MonitoringTBMG-TB-0102276/1/2011
Diabetic control typically requires daily monitoring of blood glucose levels. This involves finger pricking 2–10 times a day in order to obtain a sample for assay. Many find the finger prick tedious or painful and fall into noncompliance. Others may also dislike the assorted “paraphernalia” that must be carried around. Research into the “next-tech” for diabetes care has led many researchers to investigate tear glucose sensing as an alternative. As promising as many of these devices are, they are many years from market. Here the development of a near market tear glucose sensor is reported.
Brain Waves Measurement Based Evaluation of Mental Workload Related to Visual Information While Driving2011-01-05934/12/2011
In order to build a useful and comfortable in-car human machine interface systems, the information presentation method should be easy to understand (low mental workload) and one should be able to respond with ease to the information presented (low response workload). We are making efforts to establish an evaluation method that would differentiate between mental workload and response workload. Here, we present the results of our trial using brain waves measurements (Eye Fixation Related Potentials). We focus on the relation between P3 latencies and drivers response workload compared to mental workload in a task involving eye movements. Previous experiments showed that P3 latency correlates strongly with the amount of information presented. The current experiment shows that P3 latencies seem to be independent to the type of response the subject is requested to perform. When asked to push a button with their right hand after detecting a Landolt ring pointing right, subjects react faster
Gheorghe, Lucian Andrei, Sunda, Takashi
Concurrent Engineering Accelerates Surgical Instrument SolutionsTBMG-94844/1/2011
Development and production of a small, lightweight, ergonomically designed arthroscopic device powerful enough to bridge the gap between different types of surgeries usually takes at least 24 months.
Positioning Technology for Digital Displays on Mobile Medical EquipmentTBMG-89441/1/2011
As hospitals and surgical centers add more portable medical equipment, the precision and positioning of digital displays become critical to staff efficiency, comfort, and health. Dispensing quality healthcare depends on providers having easy access to the right tools and supplies. Clinicians and technicians need information at their fingertips to perform their jobs in situations where every second counts. Point-of-care portable medical equipment — for diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment — has helped speed up patient service, but it frequently comes with tradeoffs for healthcare workers. Mobile-mounted video displays and computer screens are not always well suited for sharing among workers of different body proportions, causing user frustration and, frequently, physical pain. This includes repetitive motion ailments, sore necks and backs, and eyestrain from less-than-optimal viewing angles.
Design Criteria—Driver Hand Controls Location for Passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, and Trucks (10 000 GVW and Under)J1138_200908 (Current)8/25/2009
The purpose of this SAE Recommended Practice is to describe design criteria pertaining to the location and labeling of hand controls, including embedded displays and controls when displayed, necessary to or frequently used during the operation of passenger cars, MPVs, and trucks 10 000 GVW and under designed for left-hand drive operation. The results of SAE human factors research have strongly influenced these recommendations, specifically in the area of driver reach, control-locating performance, and control location expectancies. Deviations from this recommended practice should be made only after careful study of the various SAE publications on these subjects. This document does not include hand-held devices such as remote controls or cellular phones.
Controls and Displays Standards Committee
Sight Analysis with ‘RAMSIS Cognitive’: Step II2009-01-22956/9/2009
The perception of visual information is the major input requirement for the psychological cognition process. The quality of perception of visual information is impaired by the geometrical and optical conditions of the displayed information. This concerns all technical information of the car as instruments, optical indicators, telltales and control displays. The international widely-used 3D-Man-Model System RAMSIS receives some additional functionality for analysis and practical design to simulate these viewing conditions in the car. These new RAMSIS functions include methods for the analysis of sight shadows, limits of visibility of liquid crystal displays, the time of focus shifts of the driver and the modelling of the optical parameters of head-up displays. These capabilities will enable a RAMSIS user to allow for (degraded) visual performance when designing the rising number of user interface displays in cars and airplanes.
Remlinger, Wolfram, Bubb, Heiner, Wirsching, Hans-Joachim
Anthropometry for a North American Manufacturing Population2009-01-22746/9/2009
Digital Human Models are used extensively in virtual manufacturing to evaluate hand clearance and reach. Spatial assessments of accommodation are typically conducted using digital human models representative of the manufacturing population. Unfortunately, these models are often based on anthropometry gathered from sources that are not representative of the actual target worker population. For example, the size and shape might be based on data from the U.S. military, which differs in .fitness, age, and race distributions from the typical automotive manufacturing population. Ford ergonomists traced errors in accommodation predictions to these inaccurate representations. Using a recently developed statistical methodology incorporating principal components analysis, the anthropometry of the target worker population was synthesized. Using these new data, Ford updated the anthropometry of their digital human models to reflect changes due to secular trends in the U.S. The models also consider
Nadadur, Gopal, Chiang, Jim, Parkinson, Matthew B., Stephens, Allison
Geometric Estimation of FoV for Vision Modeling in DHM2009-01-22946/9/2009
This paper presents a geometric method for estimating the filed-of-view (FoV) for monocular and binocular vision using a 3D scanned human face. The traditional vision-cone approach offers simplicity but may lead to spurious inferences during ergonomic evaluations involving peripheral vision. FoV is asymmetric due to unrestricted zygomatic vision and restrictions on nasal side. Thus its accurate modeling is important for effective simulation of visual performance. Given a tessellated face model and the location of the pupil, the present work computes the FoV edges on the face with respect to the pupil. The algorithm is divided in two steps, visible triangle computation and silhouette edge detection for FoV estimation. A qualitative comparison of samples with the standard perimetry data and right circular cones used in DHM shows that the FoV is very similar to the physiological visual-field maps and the cones used in DHM are conservative. The proposed approach has been extended to gaze
Sen, Dibakar
Ergonomic Data Measuring System for Driver-Pedals Interaction2009-01-11644/20/2009
This paper presents the design and development of an ergonomic data measurement system for driver–pedals interaction. The work focuses in particular on the actuation of the acceleration and brake pedals, and aims to support the development of a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the driving comfort associated with the right leg. The ergonomic data measurement system integrates five subsystems: an electro-goniometry system and a pressure-pads system to monitor driver’s positioning and movements, an electromiography system to observe the muscular activity of the lower leg, the vehicle on-board diagnostic system, a GPS system and an audio-visual system for providing environment and driving situation information. A validation exercise involving a series of test drive events confirmed the system capability to record meaningful objective comfort data which can differentiate between driving postures and styles.
Brook, Sam, Freeman, Rob, Rosala, George, Campean, Felician, Dixon, Neil
Vision Factors Considerations in Rearview Mirror DesignJ985_200902 (Historical)2/13/2009
The design and location of rear-viewing mirrors or systems, and the presentation of the rear view to the driver can best be achieved if the designer and the engineer have adequate references available on the physiological functions of head and eye movements and on the perceptual capabilities of the human visual system. The following information and charts are provided for this purpose. For more complete information of the relationship of vision to forward vision, see SAE SP-279.
Driver Vision Standards Committee
User-centered Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) Design for Automotive Systems2008-21-000410/20/2008
Multimedia systems, GPS navigation, entertainment, and communication (infotainment) have become increasingly popular in today's cars. On one hand, these systems offer a desirable amount of comfort and convenience. On the other, the representation of information on displays and navigation through these virtual worlds leads to increased driver distraction within a constantly changing environment that could be dangerous to road safety. For this reason, Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) Design needs to be addressed. This paper will present a problem-driven, user-centered cognitive approach. It also shows how HMI Design transfers research findings into efficient product development. There is a very complex relationship between the user, the interface and the traffic environment. Psychological factors, the driving situation, and interface properties affect drivers' behavior. Design parameters for interaction concepts will be shown. As interaction design concepts represent designers' hypotheses
Tuzar, Gert-Dieter
New Features for the Sight Analysis with RAMSIS2008-01-18776/17/2008
Ergonomic product design can be divided into the parts of physical ergonomics (anthropometrics) and cognitive ergonomics. I regard to the visual cognition, the anthropometric and cognitive ergonomics are very closely connected. The visual cognition process is based on physical as well as psychological components. The information processing in the brain needs the visual perception with the eyes. This visual perception needs some optical attributes for good viewing conditions of the eye. The international widely-used 3D-Man-Model System RAMSIS receives some additional functionality for analysis and practical design of to simulate these viewing conditions in the car. These new RAMSIS functions include methods for the analysis of reflective glare, visual acuity, reading precision, visual fields, limited accomodation, glasses, progressive addition lenses and electronic displays. These capabilities will enable a RAMSIS user to allow for (degraded) visual performance when designing user
Remlinger, Wolfram, Bubb, Heiner, Wirsching, Hans-Joachim
Automotive Manufacturing Task Analysis: An Integrated Approach2008-01-18976/17/2008
Automotive manufacturing presents unique challenges for ergonomic analysis. The variety of tasks and frequencies are typically not seen in other industries. Moving these challenges into the realm of digital human modeling poses new challenges and offers the opportunity to create and enhance tools brought over from the traditional reactive approach. Chiang et al. (2006) documented an enhancement to the Siemen's Jack Static Strength Prediction tool. This paper will document further enhancements to the ErgoSolver (formerly known as the Ford Static Strength Prediction Solver). These enhancements include integration of: Jack's Low Back Analysis tool; a modified Rohmert equation for muscular fatigue analysis; strength scaling equations to account for frequency and duration; the initial HUMOSIM Framework (Reed et al., 2006) for standing posture prediction; an automated measuring tool for common human-related measurements; vision windows and head/eye behavior settings; and Excel and PowerPoint
Chiang, Jim, Stephens, Allison, Potvin, Jim
A Multi-Variable Regression Model for Ergonomic Lifting Analysis with Digital Humans2008-01-19096/17/2008
The Snook tables (Liberty Mutual Tables) are a collection of data sets compiled from studies based on a psychophysical approach to material-handling tasks. These tables are used to determine safe loads for lifting, lowering, carrying pulling, and pushing. The tables take into account different population percentiles, gender, and frequency of activity. However, while using these tables to analyze a work place, Ergonomists often have to select from discrete data points closest to the actual work place parameters thereby reducing accuracy of results. To compound the problem further, multiple interrelated variables are involved, making it difficult to analyze parameters intuitively. For example, it can be difficult to answer questions such as, does reducing the lifting height lower the recommended lifting weight, if the lifting distance is increased? To resolve such issues, this paper presents a new methodology for implementing the Snook tables using multi variable regression.
Mathai, Anith, Li, Jinzengh, Abdel-Malek, Karim, Knake, Lindsey, Wisch, Julie, Godin, Christina, Chiang, Jim
Digital Human Accommodations2008-01-18626/17/2008
The move from drawing board to CAD and Digital Human Modeling (DHM) has dramatically reduced the time necessary for car design, R&D, and production. But this technological advance has created a gap between the notion of an “ergonomically designed car” and an “ergonomically used car” in the sense of accommodation and comfort. Since the author is a specialist in ergonomics and engineering, this paper is more about the conceptual method/approach rather than a study in DHM. We attempt to challenge the assumption of car comfort by designers using DHM, and the perception of comfort by drivers as end users. This paper discusses problems related to drivers' place and comfort while not getting the full benefit from DHM and/or ergonomically designed car. Definition of comfort and its criteria is addressed. There is a description of some futuristic of car's accommodations achievable today or in the near future.
Povlotsky, Boris
Extrapolation of Anthropometric Measures to New Populations2008-01-18586/17/2008
This paper advances a method of extrapolating, to target populations, inter-relationships in the anthropometry of an existing population database. Previous methods, including those that are based on using proportionality constants and those that involve developing regression relations, make use of stature as the primary predictor. This new approach distinguishes itself by accounting for the variability, across all the measures, that is not correlated with stature or other anthropometry. It builds on previous efforts by incorporating both stature and body mass index (BMI) as basic predictors in a single-step regression analysis of existing anthropometric data. The method is validated and shown to produce anthropometric measures for a population that are equivalent to the true measures. Additionally, this paper examines the effectiveness of multi-step regression in predicting anthropometry. This technique is compared with the single-step regression approach and is shown to not always
Nadadur, Gopal, Parkinson, Matthew B.
Optimization-Based Grasp Posture Generation Method of Digital Hand for Virtual Ergonomics Assessment2008-01-19026/17/2008
Automatically generating humanlike grasp postures of the digital hand is a key issue for the virtual ergonomic assessment of the industrial products. In this paper we propose a new optimization-based approach for generating the realistic grasp posture. As an objective function, we use the number of the contact points, the fit of the specific part of the hand surface for the feature edges of the product surface and the margin for the constraints on the joint angle limits of the figures. The experimental studies on the grasp posture generation for the digital camera indicate that more realistic grasp posture could be generated using the proposed optimization-based method than the one using our former method.
Endo, Yui, Kanai, Satoshi, Miyata, Natsuki, Kouchi, Makiko, Mochimaru, Masaaki, Konno, Jun, Ogasawara, Michiyo, Shimokawa, Marie
Validation of an FE Lower Limb Model for a Child Pedestrian by Means of Accident Reconstruction2008-01-12404/14/2008
Validation of a child FE model is a great challenge due to the lack of sufficient data for children. In their previous study, the authors have developed a methodology for validating a child FE model by reconstructing pedestrian accidents and comparing predicted and observed injuries. However, the study reconstructed only one accident case and more validation cases were needed for enhanced confidence of the estimated material property. The current study therefore reconstructed two additional child pedestrian accident cases. In addition, published 3–point bending test results of child long bones were also used for quantitative assessment of the material property. The accident cases were taken from the PCDS and CIREN databases. Based on the information from the accident data, a multi–body simulation and optimization procedure were used to identify impact conditions. The estimated impact conditions were used to simulate the accident cases using the FE model with failure criteria. The
Ito, O., Okamoto, M., Takahashi, Y., Mori, F.
Parametric Mating Force Model for Partially-filled Connectors2008-01-15054/14/2008
A predictive model for the mating forces of hand-plug connectors has been developed; it calculates the forces in a connector that has empty cavities instead of terminals in every position. Force data is needed as a check to see if connectors meet the latest ergonomic requirements in their as-built configurations. Historically, force data has been generated from physical testing since prior predictive models were not accurate enough. Testing is expensive and slow so a more advanced and accurate model was created. The model presented in this paper is accurate enough to replace mechanical force testing of partially-filled hand-plug connectors.
Price, Donald D.
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