Ergonomic Design

IE 486

ANTHROPOMETRY

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 Anthropometry
▪Anthropometry is the study and measurement of human body dimensions.
▪Anthropometry → Anthro (man) –pometry (measurements)
▪Literal meaning: “measurement of humans”

▪Applications:
Design of workplaces Design of consumer Biomechanical
Examples: Products Modeling
1. Workstation for standing Examples: Example:
or seated work 1. Automobiles Stress imposed on
2. Production machinery 2. Furniture workers joints or
3. Hand tools muscles during
4. Clothes performance of work
5. Personal protection equipment

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Anthropometry Data
Structural dimensions
▪ These are taken with the body in various standard and still positions.
▪ Another term is static anthropometry.
Functional dimensions
▪ These are obtained with the body in various work postures.
▪ Another term for this category is dynamic anthropometry.

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Structural dimensions

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Structural dimensions
Stature : With the subject standing erect and looking
straight ahead, this is the measure taken from the
standing surface to the top of the head.

Sitting Height : This is the vertical distance between the seat

surface and the top of the head with the subject sitting erect,
looking straight ahead and the knees at the right angles.

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Structural dimensions
Knee Height: Vertical distance is measured from the floor to the
upper most point on the knee.

Popliteal Height: This is the vertical distance from the floor to

the underside of the thigh next to the knee with the subject
sitting erect, knees at right angles, and the bottom of the thigh
and the back of the knee barely touching the seat pan

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Structural dimensions
Elbow rest height , sitting : Vertical distance between the sitting
surface and the bottom of the elbow is measured with subject
sitting erect , upper arm vertical at the side, and the forearm at
a right angle to upper arm.

Thigh clearance, sitting : With the subject sitting erect , this is

the vertical distance between the seat surface and the point of
intersection of the thigh with the abdomen.

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Structural dimensions
Elbow-to-elbow breadth, sitting : This is the horizontal distance
between the lateral surfaces of the two elbows. The subject sits
erect, hips and knees together, upper arms vertical and
touching the sides of the body lightly.
Hip breadth, sitting : This is the maximum horizontal distance
across the hips with the subject sitting erect and knees
together.

Arm reach: Horizontal distance is measured between the tip of

the middle finger and the posterior surface of the right
shoulder. Subject stands erect with ankles and knees together .
The arm is extended to its maximum.

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Structural dimensions
Grip Diameter: Subject grips a cone at the largest circumference
possible where the tips of the thumb and middle finger just
touch. Measure the distance across the hand from the top of
the second joint of the thumb to the top of the knuckle of the
middle finger.
Hand length : This is the distance from the base of the thumb to
the tip of the middle finger of the right hand. The hand is
extended straight on the arm.

Foot length : This is the horizontal distance from the back of the
heel to the tip of the longest toe. Subject stands erect with his
weight equally distributed on both feet.

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Functional dimensions

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Functional dimensions

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Functional dimensions

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Anthropometry-percentile
Percentiles correspond to the values of a variable below which a specific
percentage of the group fall.

5th percentile stature for IE 486 class is 162 cm → meaning

that only 5% of class population is smaller than 162 cm.

50th percentile stature for IE 486 class is 173 cm →

meaning that 50% of class population is smaller than 173 cm.

95th percentile stature for IE 486 class is 185 cm → meaning

that 95% of class population is smaller than
185 cm.

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Percentile calculation
1 Find the mean
2.Find the standard deviation.
3.Find the factor Fi corresponding to a specific
percentile point. Multiply this factor by
standard deviation and:
◦ add to mean for determining percentile above
50th percentile
◦ subtract from mean for determining percentile
below 50th percentile

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Whom to Design for?
Design to accommodate 100 % of the population??
• Not practical or desirable in many design situations
◦ financial economical
◦ design constraints

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Use of Anthropometric Data in
Workspace design – general
approach

Worst approach,
but has some
applications

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Use of Anthropometric Data in
Workspace design – general
approach

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Use of Anthropometric Data in
Design – general approach
Design for one extreme of spectrum (short or small user)
E.x. Workplace design – reach is primary concern

Design for other extreme of spectrum (tall or large user)

E.x. Design for tall: workplace design – ingress and egress is
primary concern

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 Use of Anthropometric Data in
Design – general approach
Design for adjustability: example the range from the 5th percentile
female to the 95th percentile male
Design for adjustability: provision for using mechanical solution to
accommodate a range of users
Consumer product – very common
Workplaces – not that common

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 Use of Anthropometric Data in
Design – general approach
Design for more types/sizes
Mostly for Consumer products

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Use of Anthropometric Data in
Design – general approach
Step1: Determine the user population ( the intended users) who will use the
product or workplace. ( e.g., g , children, women, KSA civilians, different age
groups, world populations, different races)
Step 2: Determine relevant body dimensions - which body dimensions are most
important for design problems. (e.g., design of seat of a chair must consider
waist breadth)
Step 3: Determine the percentage of population to be accommodated (see
next slide)
Step 4: Make necessary design modification - consider appropriate
allowances (e.g. clothing)

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Workspace design – Example
As a Human Factors Specialist your job is to determine the height H of the
sitting surface of a chair so that all the operators using this chair could sit on it
comfortably.
Comfortable posture is defined as lower leg perpendicular to the ground
comfortably & upper leg parallel to the ground.

Step1: Determine the user

population → class population
Find relevant data or collect
population data

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 Workspace design – Example
Step 2: Determine
relevant body dimensions

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 Workspace design – Example

Step 3: Determine the

percentage of population
to be accommodated
All → use design for
adjustability principle –
range between 5th
percentile female and
95th percentile male

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 Anthropometry – Example

5th percentile female = 39.8 – 1.645(2.7) = 35. 36 cm

95th percentile male = 44.2 + 1.645(2.8) = 48.80 cm

Adjustability range = 48.80-35.36 = 13.45 cm

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Workspace design – Example 2
What percent of the population can be accommodated by this
workstation ?

Step1: Determine the user

population –> lab students

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 Workspace design – Example 2
Step 2: Determine
relevant body dimensions

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 Workspace design – Example 2
A person with popliteal height + Thigh height <62 cm
will be accommodated

Male → 44.2 + 15.9 = 60.1 cm

𝒁=(𝑿−𝝁)/𝝈 = (62−60.1)/(2.8+4.1)=0.275 → go to Z-Scores table
→ The workstation will accommodate less than 60.6% of the
male population
Female → 39.8+12.1 = 51.9 cm → Z = (62-51.9)/(2.7+2.7) = 1.78
→The workstation will accommodate less than 96.25% of the
female population

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Workspace design – Case study
BNCL is a leading electronics manufacturer. They recently installed
AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval system) at the stocking stations.
At these stations, operators fill the bin delivered by the crane with
material arriving in a tote over a roller conveyor. After the stocking
operation, empty totes are circulated to other need points in the system
using overhead cable trolley conveyor. The bin is taken by the crane to
its location in the rack structure.

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 Workspace design – Case study

AS/RS system had a problem with the access requirement to an overhead cable trolley
conveyor for hooking empty totes after stocking. The conveyor was designed at such a
height that it was impossible to reach hooks comfortably even with the tote extended.

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 Workspace design – Case study

You decided to add a step to

solve this reaching issue.
What should be the height of
the step, in order to
accommodate for most of the
population (95%)?

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Workspace design – Case study
Distance AD = 250.2 cm
Tote length = 54.9 cm
Distance CB = 66.1 cm

The population includes male and female

To accommodate for all, use female as their
dimensions are smaller.

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Workspace design – Case study
Distance CA = 66.5+54.9 = 121.4
Pythagorean theorem
AB2 = CA2 - CB2
AB2 = 121.42 – 66.12
AB = 101.82
BD= AD-BD=250.2-101.82=148.38

EF = BD-CE = 148.38-122.4= 26 cm

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