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ESTIMATING BODY DIMENSIONS

 Measurement units are given as proportions of the person’s Height (H) in

meters.

 Since it is related to height (H), we should note that height changes with age.

Children grow older and older people shrink.

 But child growth differs between the genders. Note that in younger age, females

grow faster than males, but males grow overall.

 The size of different body parts is strongly related to a person’s height. Taller

people tend to have longer arms and vice versa, though this is not always the

case.

PREDICTING THE SEGMENT MASS OF THE HUMAN BODY


 Table 2.3 shows the regression equations developed by NASA, along with the

standard error of the estimate, and the coefficient of determination. The masses

and weight are recorded in kilograms

ANTHROPOMETRIC PRINCIPLES IN WORKPLACE AND EQUIPMENT DESIGN

The word ‘anthropometry’ means measurement of the human body. It is derived from

the Greek words ‘anthropos’ (man) and ‘metron’ (measure). Anthropometric data are

used in ergonomics to specify the physical dimensions of workspaces, equipment,


furniture and clothing to ensure that physical mismatches between the dimensions of

equipment and products and the corresponding user dimensions are avoided.

Designing for a population of users

The first step in designing is to specify the user population and then to design to

accommodate as wide a range of users as possible – normally 90% of them. Well-

designed products acknowledge and allow for the inherent variability of the user

population.

In ergonomics, the word ‘population’ is used in a statistical sense and can refer to a

group of people sharing common ancestors, common occupations, common

geographical locations or age groups. A user population may consist of people from

different races (i.e. groups differing in their ancestry) or different ethnic groups (different

cultures, customs, language, and so on).

For design purposes, the criteria for deciding what constitutes a ‘population’ are

functional and are related directly to the problem at hand.

Factors influencing the change in body size of populations

There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that improved living conditions are

accompanied by an increase in body size.

Part of this in undoubtedly due to better diet and living conditions – better sanitation,

childhood immunisations, refrigerated transportation making available a year-round

supply of fresh food, and supplementation of dairy products and cereals with vitamin D.

Implications for Ergonomics


The concept of ‘Mr Average’ or an ideal body type will become increasingly invalid and

designers must expect users to be different from themselves. The structure of

populations and their living conditions are changing in many parts of the world. This

means that anthropometric data captured in the past may no longer be representative.

When designing for international markets, then, each target country has to be

considered separately. Anthropometric data should be used with caution, particularly if it

is old.

Anthropometry and its uses in ergonomics

The approach of ergonomics is to consider product dimensions in human terms in view

of the constraints placed on their design by body size variability. For example, a seat

should be no higher than the popliteal

height of a short user and no deeper than the distance from the buttocks to the knees.

Anthropometric Surveys

Traditionally, measurements are made using manually operated instruments such as

anthropometers and calipers.

Manually operated instruments (such as the ‘digital tape measure’) are used to capture

the measurements according to a user-programmed protocol. The data are

automatically digitised and downloaded to computer.

 Anthropometers - an instrument that consists of a calibrated, vertical rod to which

are attached two horizontal arms, one fixed and one movable, for measuring the

human trunk and limbs.


 Caliper - is a device used to measure the distance between two opposite sides of

an object. Many types of calipers permit reading out a measurement on a ruled

scale, a dial, or a digital display. But a caliper can be as simple as

a compass with inward or outward-facing points. (Wikipedia)

Types of Anthropometric Data

Structural anthropometric data are measurements of the

bodily dimensions of subjects in fixed (static) positions.

Measurements are made from one clearly identifiable

anatomical landmark to another or to a fixed point in space

(e.g. the height of the knuckles above the floor, the height

of the popliteal fossa (back of the knee) above the floor,

and so on).

The reader is advised to study the tables, looking in

particular for differences in body proportion between

different groups. For example, there is an approximately 100 mm stature difference

between US and Japanese males when standing. This decreases to between 5 and 25

mm in the seated position. When considering possible modifications to a vehicle to be

exported from one country to the other, the designer might, therefore, first pay attention

to the rake of the seat and position of the foot pedals, rather than to the height of the

roof.
Functional anthropometric data are

collected to describe the movement of a

body part with respect to a fixed reference

point. However, existing functional

anthropometric data are useful for

designing workspaces and positioning

objects within them, particularly in the design of aircraft cockpits, crane cabs, vehicle

interiors and complex control panels in the process industries.

Newtonian anthropometric data are used in mechanical analysis of the loads on the

human body. Newtonian data may be used to compare the load on the spine due to

different lifting techniques.

Anthropometry and PERSONAL SPACE

Psycho-anthropometry – are the volume of space regarded as personal territory and

the consequences of an invasion of this space by others

 (Dabbs, 1971) Invasion of personal space and crowded conditions appear to be

stressful.

 The degree of stress depends on the context, for example, invasion of personal

space in a library is much more stressful than in a crowded train or lift.

Personal space is another important consideration in addition to the purely

dimensional ones. Design decisions regarding the size and spacing of seats in public

areas, the proximity of desks and so on need to take account of people’s personal
space requirements and the particular social context. In the workplace, a minimum

separation of desks or benches of approximately 1.2 metres is thought to be necessary.

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