Chapter 1: Anthropometry USES OF ANTHROPMETRY

To fit the person or individual to its task

ergonomics - the study of the design of a workplace, To avoid physical mismatches between
equipment, machine, tool, product, environment, and dimension of equipment or product and
system which takes into consideration human being's corresponding user
physical, physiological, biomechanical, and psychological To design variability to people and not for
capabilities and optimizes the effectiveness and average
productivity of work systems while assuring the safety,
health, and well-being of the workers. APPLICATION OF ANTHROPOMETRY
Determining the body dimension
Different types of dimensions have been defined for 1. Minimum dimension
different applications: 2. Maximum dimension
Static dimension/structural - subdivided into Determining the principle to be apply
circumferences, lengths, skinfolds, and volumetric 1. Design for extreme individual
measurements. Static dimensions are taken with body 2. Design for adjustable range
parts held in fixed, standardized positions. 3. Design for average
Dynamic dimension/functional - include link Defining equipment
measurements, center of gravity measurements, and 1. comfort
body landmark locations. 2. Work performance
3. Safety, physical effects
The word ergonomics is derived from the Greek words Defining facilities
ergo(work) AND nomos(laws). It was used for the first 1. Tools/control of each men
time by WOJCIECHJAstRZEBOWSKI in a Polish 2. In which men
newspaper in 1857 (Karwowski, 1991). In the U.S., 3. Clothes and equipment devices
human factors engineering and human factors have Space requirement
been close synonyms. 1. One of the application of anthropometry is
the design of work spaces, including the
STANDARDIZATION OF MEASUREMENT work space envelopes
1906, Monaco and 1912, Geneva bony Example: The limits of the work space envelope
landmark for seated personnel are determined by
1914, lerhbuch der anthropologies functional arm reach which is influenced by:
1960, engineers needs led the upadate of a. Presence of any restraints
standarization b. Apparel worn
1980 - ISO c. Angle of back

anthropometrics - The study of the human body and its ADVANTAGES OF ANTHROPOMETRY
movement, often involving research into measurements Increase accuracy
relating to people.
Reduced fatigue
Better comfort
anthropometry - may be defined as the measurement
Reduced chance of injury
(e.g., height, elbow-wrist length, etc.) of human beings.
Time management
Each person's anthropometric measurement is
compared to values observed in the general
population and expressed as percentiles.
Percentile is defined as a set of divisions that
Scientific methods of Anthropometry
produce exactly 100 equal parts in a series of
somatometry - it is the systemized technique to
continuous values.
measure the living body including head and
face.
 osteometry - it is the measurement of bones
especially long bones, which facilitates in
comparing the skeletons of different
population.
craniometry- it is the measurement of cranial
features in order to classify people according to
race, temperament, etc. There is an assumption
that skull size and shape determine brain size
which determines intelligence and capacity for
moral behaviour.
somatoscopy- it is the scientific observation or
assessment of the living man which is
supplemented by somatometry.
INSTRUMENTS
Spreading Caliper
The instrument is composed of two outwardly
curved long arms but bounded at one end. The
two arms rotate on a screw at the straight ends.
This instrument is specially designed with
rounded and bliunt end to facilitate the
measurements where curved areas are
involved.
Maximum head breadth. This measurement
shows the straight distance between the two
eurya.
Sliding Caliper
It is a 25cm long straight bar having flattened
steel plate graduated in millimeters on its two
sides. It has two long arms (12.5 cm) of which
one is fixed at the top and other one is
movable. There is a screw at the middle of the
sleeve of the sliding arm.
Maximum siameter of the shaft. This
measurement finds out the maximum diameter
of the shaft at the greatest development of the
crest. Two arms of the caliper should lie at the
posterior margin and the anterior surface of the
bone.
Goniometer
It is consists of movable needle, placed on a
heavy base and attached to a protractor.
It is used for taking various angular
measurements on the face and skull. This
instrument is very useful in taking linear
measurements.
Anthropometric variable- a measurable characteristic of
the body that can be defined, standardized and referred
to a unit of measurement.
Linear variable- are generally defined by landmarks that
can be precisely traced on the body.
VARIABILITY
Variability in measurement - Can be exercised in
selecting population samples, using measuring
instruments, then the measured data, and applying
statistical treatment
Intraindividual variability- The size of the same body
segment of a given person changes from youth to old
age depending on the nutrition, physical exercise and
health.
Interindividual variability- Individual differ from each
other nearly in all measurements
Secular variation- there is some factual and much
anecdotal evidence that people today are larger, on
average than their ancestor
Landmarks are generally of two types:
Skeletal anatomic- maybe found and traced by feeling
bony prominences through the skin.
Virtual landmark - simply found as maximum or
minimum distances using the branches of a caliper.
ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES IN OFFICE CHAIRS
1. stature
2. sitting height
3. sitting to shoulder height
4. lowest point capula to sitting
5. thigh thickness
6. shoulder-elbow length
7. shoulder breadth
8. hip breadth seated
9. popliteal depth
10. popliteal height
11. heel height
12. weight
13. age
Anthropometric data
 Consists of collections of measurements, often
presented in tabular format or annotated
diagrams of human figures.
The primary dimensions measured are of bone,
muscle, and adipose tissue. This data is used in
human factors/ergonomics applications in order
to ensure that designs and standards are
realistic.
Anthropometric statistics
Designing for a single person demands his
dimensional variations to be well
accommodated. When designing for mass use
and for unknown individuals, one of the most
relevant statistical interpretations and
considerations is the percentile value of the
collected data.
percentile
are the statistical values of a distribution of
variables transferred into a hundred scales. The
population is divided into 100 percentage
categories, ranked from least to highest, with
respect to some specific types of body
measurements.
The first percentile of any height indicates that
99 percent of the population would have the
heights of greater dimensions than that.
Two ways to determine given percentile values:
1. Use a graph of data distribution and find critical
percentile values from the graph. (by
measuring, counting, or estimating)
2. Calculate percentile values.
= 100
Use it to describe the variability of sample by dividing
the standard deviation by the mean
Advantages of Percentiles:
They help establish the portion of a user
population that will be included in a specific
design solution.
Easily used to select subjects for fit tests.
Any body dimension, design value or score of a
subject can be located exactly.
Helps in the selection of persons who can use
the product.
BODY PROPORTIONS
Vitruvian Man. Leonardo da Vinci. Emblem of U.S.
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
somatotyping
The categorization of body builds into different types.
Hippocrates four body types scheme:
1.cold
2.warm
3.dry
4.moist
body image mental picture of physical appearance of
the body

Ways to calculate percentile values and their

variabilities:

=

A normally distributed set of n data is described by two
simple statistics. The 50th percentile is the same as the
mean (m).
( )2 1
= [ ]
1 2

Where x is the sum of measurements. The standard

deviation describes the distribution of the data.