Unit 1: Ergonomics

Ergonomics

The application of scientific information concerning the relationship between human beings and the design of products, systems, and environments

Shape, form, colour, texture

Tools that designers use to improve the ergonomics of a product

Ease of use

Designing tools, equipment, or software so people can operate them intuitively and efficiently without physical strain, confusion, or mental fatigue

Comfort in use

Ensures that the user can use the product efficiently

Mapping and user interfaces

Minimising cognitive load and eliminating human error by aligning how a system works with how a user naturally expects it to work

Affordance

What a product informs the user by just looking at it

Logic of the user

The system works the way a human naturally expects it to

User experience

Focuses on how a product, system, or environment impacts a person's emotional state, comfort, and physical wellbeing during use. Brings joy to the user.

Physical ergonomics

Ease of use / comfort in use

Cognitive ergonomics

Shape, form, colour, texture / mapping and user interfaces / affordance and logic of user

Anthropometrics

The aspect of ergonomics that deals with body measurements, particularly those of size

Static data

Sketetal measurements, soft tissue measurements

Dynamic data

Includes the distances that are measured when the body is in motion or engaged in physical activity

Issues that can occur when collecting anthropometric data

Tools used, personnel training, time of the day, person’s body shape, user behaviour

Percentile range

The proportion of a population with a dimension at or less than a given value for a given demographic. Looking at the standard deviation.

Adjustability

The ability of a product to be changed in size. Used in design where a range of sizes isn't possible or is expensive.

Range of sizes

A selection of sizes a product is made to cater for the majority of the market. Used when adjustability isn't possible, often done for comfort or safety.

Workspace envelope

A 3D space that is typically physical and/or virtual that needs to have defined permissible boundaries of movement and operation.

Reach

The range that a person can stretch to touch or grasp an object from a specified position

Clearance

The minimum distance required to enable the user group into or through a particular space

Physiological factor data

Information gathered focusing on the functioning of an individual's major organ systems

Visual accuracy

The eye's biological capability to clearly resolve, track, and interpret fine structural details at a given distance

Colour perception

How well the human eye and brain process light wavelengths to interpret colour

Muscle strength in different body positions

The maximum force or torque a muscle or muscle group can voluntarily produce

Fatigue

A person's sense of physical or psychological tiredness.

Comfort

A person's sense of physical or psychological ease.

Muscle control

Regulation of muscle tension, posture, and movement to perform work tasks efficiently while minimising fatigue and risk of injury

Hearing thresholds

The softest intensity a human ear can detect at a specific frequency

Biomechanics

The research and analysis of the mechanics of living organisms

Strength

The quality of being physically strong

Grip

To take a firm hold of something

Force

Any action or influence that moves an object

Repetition

Doing the same motion or movements time after time

Duration

The length of time that a muscle is in continuous use

Posture

Position of a person's body parts

Torque

A measure of how much a force acting on an object causes the object to rotate

Psychological factor data

Vision, smell, sound, taste, touch

Factors affecting vision / sight & light

Readability, light level, perception, type of lighting

Factors affecting sound

Warning sounds, ambient noise, feedback, sound quality, noise cancelling

Factors affecting touch

Texture, temperature, grip

Factors affecting taste

Good flavour / Bad flavour / Tastelessness

Factors affecting smell

Bad smells as warnings / Ambience / Aroma

Nominal classification

Classified by name into discrete groups. Scale doesn't provide measurement within and between groups.

Ordinal classification

In hierarchy, but no quantitative comparison

Interval classification

Data organised into equal divisions/intervals, but with no true zero

Ratio classification

Data organised into equal divisions/intervals, with true zero

True zero

When the value 0 truly indicates nothing on a scale of measurement

Sensory processes

The sensors in the body sense the input or stimulus

Central processes

The brain processes the information and makes a decision

Motor processes

Carry nerve impulses to muscles

Sensory limiting factor

Input incompatible with sensory receptors

Central limiting factor

Incoming information may be incorrectly interpreted or there are no suitable responses available

Motor limiting factor

May be unable to perform the actions specified by the central processing unit

Environmental factors

Noise, lighting, temperature, humidity, vibrations, aroma, space

Alertness

The state of active attention by high sensory awareness

Factors of alertness

Time of the day, character of the task (amount of stimuli)

Perception

The organisation, identification, and interpretation of sensory information to represent and understand the environment