IB Design Technology CORE T1-6

Flashcards on Human Factors and Ergonomics

Human Factors

The combination of ergonomics and anthropometrics.

Aims of Human Factors

Reduce stress and fatigue, increase safety and ease of use, enhance comfort, and improve system performance.

Ergonomics

The application of scientific information concerning the relationship of human beings to the design of objects, systems, and environments.

Physical Ergonomics

Deals with posture, worksite development, material handling, repetitive stress, and occupational health.

Cognitive Ergonomics

Concerned with mental processes and how they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system.

Organizational Ergonomics

Includes communication, work design, shift management, teamwork, and quality management.

Anthropometric Data

Sub-classified as static and dynamic data; measurements of human body dimensions.

Structural Anthropometric data

Measurements taken while the subject is in a fixed or standard position.

Functional Anthropometric data

Measurements taken during physical activities.

Percentiles

Tell you whether the measurement relates to the 'average' person, or someone who is above or below average in a certain dimension.

Clearance

The minimum distance required to enable the user group into or through an area.

Workspace Envelope / Reach

The 3-dimensional space within which you carry out physical work activities when you are at a fixed location.

Ergonome

A 2D scaled physical anthropometric model used to consider the relationship between the size of an object and people.

Manikin

An anatomical 3D model of the human body used to assess the relationship of body parts to spatial arrangements.

Cognitive Psychology

Mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system.

Methods for Collecting Psychological Factor Data

Observation, surveys & interviews, standardized testing, and case studies.

Nominal Data Scale

Used in classification or division of objects into discrete groups, identified with a name; provides no measurement.

Ordinal Data Scale

Deals with the order or position of items; quantitative assessment cannot be made.

Interval Data Scale

Organized into even divisions or intervals of equal size, but there is no true zero.

Ratio Data Scale

Has a true zero, allowing you to compare differences between numbers.

Environmental Factors

Noise, lighting, temperature, humidity affect hearing, vision, comfort, and health.

Alertness

Being aware of what is happening in the vicinity to understand how information, events and one's own actions will impact goals and objectives.

Slips

Result from automatic behavior; subconscious actions get waylaid en route.

Mistakes

Result from conscious deliberations.