Studied by 1 person
Adjustability
The ability of a product to be changed in size
Alertness
The level of vigilance
Anthropometrics
The aspect of ergonomics that deals with body measurements
Biomechanics
The research and analysis of the mechanics of living organisms. Biomechanics in Human factors includes the research and analysis of the mechanics (operation of our muscles
Clearance
The physical space between two objects.
Cognitive ergonomics
How mental processes
Comfort
A person's sense of physical or psychological ease.
Dynamic data
Human body measurements taken when the subject is in motion related to range and reach of various body movements. E.g. crawling height
Environmental factors
A set of psychological factors that can affect the performance of an individual that come from the environment that the individual is situated.
Ergonomics
The application of scientific information concerning the relationship between human beings and the design of products
Fatigue
A person's sense of physical or psychological tiredness.
Functional data
Functional data includes dynamic data measurements while performing a required task e.g. reaching abilities
Human error
Mistakes made by users
Human factors
A scientific discipline concerned with understanding how humans interact with elements of a system. It can also be considered the practice of designing products
Human information processing system
An automatic system that a person uses to interpret information and react. It is normally comprised of inputs
Interval data
Interval data are based on numeric scales in which we know the order and the exact difference between the values. Organised into even divisions or intervals
Nominal data scale
Nominal means 'by name' and used in classification or division of objects into discrete groups. Each of which is identified with a name e.g. category of cars
Ordinal data
A statistical data type that exists on an arbitrary numerical scale where the exact numerical value has no significance other than to rank a set of data points. Deals with the order or position of items such as words
Percentile range
That proportion of a population with a dimension at or less than a given value. For a given demographic (gender
Perception
The way in which something is regarded
Physiological factor data
Human factor data related to physical characteristics used to optimise the user's safety
Primary data
Data collected by a user for a specific purpose.
Psychological factor data
Human factor data related to psychological interpretations caused by light
Qualitative data
Typically descriptive data used to find out in depth the way people think or feel - their perception. Useful for research at the individual or small (focus) group level.
Quantitative data
Data that can be measured and recorded using numbers. Examples include height
Range of sizes
A selection of sizes a product is made in that caters for the majority of a market.
Ratio data scale
A ratio scale allows you to compare differences between numbers. For example
Reach
A range that a person can stretch to touch or grasp an object from a specified position.
Secondary data
Data collected by someone other than the user.
Static data
Human body measurements when the subject is still.
Structural data
Refers to measurements taken while the subject is in a fixed or standard position
Workplace environmental factors
These factors can be considered to maximise performance of a user in a role and reduce the risk of accidents. They can be categorised as: • Management (policies
Circular economy
An economy model in which resources remain in use for as long as possible
Clean technology
Products
Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
A system that simultaneously generates heat and electricity from either the combustion of fuel
Converging technologies
The synergistic merging of nanotechnology
Cradle to cradle
A design philosophy that aims to eliminate waste from the production
Cradle to grave
A design philosophy that considers the environmental effects of a product all of the way from manufacture to disposal.
Dematerialization
The reduction of total material and energy throughput of any product and service.
Design for the environment software
Software that allows designers to perform Life cycle analysis (LCA) on a product and assess its environmental impact.
Eco-design
A design strategy that focusses on three broad environmental categories - materials
Embodied energy
The total energy required to produce a product.
End-of-pipe technologies
Technology that is used to reduce pollutants and waste at the end of a process.
Energy distribution
The method with which energy is transported from a source to where it is used.
Energy storage
The method with which energy is stored for later use.
Energy utilization
The method with which energy is used.
Green design
Designing in a way that takes account of the environmental impact of the product throughout its life.
Green legislation
Laws and regulations that are based on conservation and sustainability principles
Incremental solutions
Products which are improved and developed over time leading to new versions and generations.
Individual energy generation
The ability of an individual to use devices to create small amounts of energy to run low-energy products.
Legislation
Laws considered collectively to address a certain topic.
Life cycle analysis (LCA)
The assessment of the effect a product has on the environment through five stages of its life: pre-production
production
distribution (including packaging
utilization
and disposal.
Linear economy
An economy based on the make
Local combined heat and power (CHP)
CHP plants that generate heat and power for a local community - the plant is close enough to the community so that the heat generated can be dispersed through the community efficiently.
National and international grid systems
An electrical supply distribution network that can be national or international. International grids allow electricity generated in one country to be used in another.
Non-renewable resources
A natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown as it does not naturally re-form at a rate that makes its use sustainable
Product cycle
Also known as the product life cycle
Product recovery strategies
The processes of separating the component parts of a product to recover the parts and materials.
Quantification of carbon emissions
Defining numerically the carbon emissions generated by a particular product
Radical solutions
Where a completely new product is devised by going back to the roots of a problem and thinking about a solution in a different way.
Recondition
Rebuilding a product so that it is in an “as new” condition
Recovery of raw materials
Strategies for the separation of components of a product in order to recover raw materials.
Recycle
Recycling refers to using the materials from obsolete products to create other products.
Re-engineer
To redesign components or products to improve their characteristics or performance.
Renewability
The level at which a resource is renewable. The rate that a resource can be replenished.
Renewable resources
A natural resource that can replenished with the passage of time
Repair
The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing structure or device.
Reserves
Reserves are natural resources that have been identified in terms of quantity and quality.
Resources
Resources are the stock or supply of materials that are available in a given context.
Re-use
Reuse of a product in the same context or in a different context.
System level solutions
Solutions that are implemented to deal with the whole system
The precautionary principle
The anticipation of potential problems in relation to the environmental impact of the production
The prevention principle
The avoidance or minimization of producing waste in relation to the production
Waste mitigation strategies
Strategies used to reduce the waste produced by a product or in the production and disposal of a product.
Aesthetic models
A model developed to look and feel like the final product.
Animation
The ability to link graphic screens together in such a way as to simulate motio
