UNIT - 2

ANTHROPOMETRY
Anthropometry: Human body - structure and function -
Types of anthropometric data - Application of
anthropometry in design -Anthropometric measuring
techniques - Statistical treatment of data and percentile
calculations.
 ANTHROPOMETRICS
The science of anthropometrics provides data on dimensions of
the human body in various postures.

 Empirical science concerned with the physical measurements of

the human body, such as height, range of joint movements, and
weight

 Derived from the Greek words anthropos (man) and metron (to
measure)

 Usually considered a branch of anthropology

 Strength characteristics also sometimes included in the scope of

anthropometry
 WHY ANTHROPOMETRY?

 Body size and proportion vary greatly between different populations.

 Size variation is due to overall natural growth of human being on the

passage of time.

 Human vary due to genetic differences.

 to climatic conditions.

 better living conditions.

 Designer has to analyze in what ways anthropometric mismatches

might occur and decide which anthropometric data might be
appropriate to the problem.
ANTHROPOMETRI & ERGONOMICS
 Matching the physical form and dimensions of the product or work
space to those of it’s user; and

 Matching the physical demands of the working task to the capacities of

the work

 Because of human variability, Anthropometric study in the

product/system design, comes into picture.
 ANTHROPOMETRIC ANALYSIS
AND DATA
 Static dimensions – body measurements while in a fixed
position

–Data are more easily determined, so much more static

data are available

 Dynamic dimensions – body measurements while

performing some physical activity

–Probably more relevant in design

 HUMAN VARIABILITY
• Differences in body dimensions exist among people because of:

–Ethnicity and Nationality

–Heredity

–Diet

–Health

–Gender

–Age

–Living conditions
STATIC DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN
BODY

Seated
Standing
 TYPES OF ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA
USED IN ERGONOMICS
 Structural data: Measurement of
bodily dimensions of subjects in
static postures

 Functional data: Collected from

subjects who are allowed to move
one or more limbs in one or more
planes with respect to fixed point.

 Newtonian data: This included

both body segments mass data and
data about the forces that can be
exerted in different tasks.
 HOW TO USE OF ANTHROPOMETRIC
DATA
Minimum Dimensions

• A high percentile value of an appropriate anthropometric dimension is chosen.

• In ergonomics it is normally the extremes that we are interested in, because that
is where any given aspect of a design will start to "not fit". The percentage of
people who are smaller than a given size is called a "percentile", and typically
designs are specified to fit from 1st/2nd/5th percentile to 95th/98th/99th.

• Example: while designing a doorway, sufficient head room for very tall people
has to be provided and 95-99 percentile tallness could be used to specify the
minimum height. Doorway should not be lower than this minimum value .

• Additional allowance also would be taken care for the increase in height cause
by heels of shoes, protective headgear etc.

• Example: Seat breadth is also determined using a minimum dimension.

Parameters of anthropometry

a) Weight
b) Height
c) Head circumference
d) Chest circumference
e) Mid-arm circumference (1-5 years)
f) Skinfold thickness
g) B.M.I
 Maximum Dimensions

A low percentile is chosen as in determining the

maximum height of a door latch so that smallest adult in
a population will be able to reach it.
 SOME MINIMUM DIMENSIONS
• Height of doorway must be no lower than the stature of tall man
(plus allowance of clothes and shoes etc.)

• Width of a chair must be no narrower than the breadth of human

being.

• A tooth brush must be long enough to reach the back molars of

someone with a deep mouth.

• A door handle must not be lower than the highest standing knuckle
height of the Population of users
 Some maximum allowable dimensions:

A door lock must not be no higher than the maximum vertical

reach of small person.

Seat heights depths must not exceed the popliteal height And

lower portion to knee lengths of small users.

 APPLICATIONS OF ANTHROPOMETRY IN
DESIGN

Design adjustable products

Anthropometry and personal space

Workstation design and reach

Make different size

 PHYSIOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION

A branch of biology concerned with the vital processes of living

organisms and how their constituent tissues and cells function

–Important in work because work requires expenditure of physical

energy

Much of the foundation of knowledge in human physiology was

provided by animal experimentation. Due to the frequent connection

between form and function, physiology and anatomy are intrinsically

linked and are studied in tandem as part of a medical curriculum.

 BASED ON THE TAXA (A Taxonomic
Framework for Ergonomic Exposure)
human physiology

animal physiology

plant physiology

microbial physiology

viral physiology
 BASED ON THE LEVEL OF
ORGANIZATION
• Cell physiology

• Molecular physiology

• Systems physiology

• Organismal physiology

• Ecological physiology

• Integrative physiology
 WORK & PHYSIOLOGY
Studies on physiological effects of workload (physical and
mental workload) and exposure to occupational hazards
(assessment of fatigue and cardiovascular response)

Assessment of adverse health effects of work performance and

exposure to occupational hazards (cardiovascular abnormalities,
neurovegetative system dysfunction, biological cycle and
reproductive function disorders)

Experimental studies on physiological reaction to selected

occupational hazards;
 WHAT DO ERGONOMIST DO WITH
PHYSIOLOGY
Assessment of the impact of physical workload on the
musculoskeletal system in different occupations;

Ergonomic evaluation of work posts, tools and machinery

Experimental studies on an ergonomically optimal design and

construction of the work post;

Expertise for governmental agencies setting hygienic standards

for work performance, workload, design and construction of
work posts as well as regulations on examinations of workers.
 KNOW YOUR BODY

List out the task/occasions when you feel fatigue and

pain.

Mention the particular part of the body affected and

discuss the scientific explanation of internal pain arisen.

Suggest the possible solution of the problem faced.

 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

 Human musculoskeletal system

–Primary actuator for performing physical labor and other

activities requiring force and motion

–Composed of muscles and bones connected by tendons

 206 bones in human body

–Energy to perform physical activity provided by metabolism

 JOINT TYPES FOR BODY MOVEMENT

• Ball-and-socket – shoulder and hip joints

• Pivot – elbow and knee

• Hinge – wrist and ankle

–Ball-and-socket joints can apply greater force than pivot

joint

• Pivot joint can apply greater force than hinge joint

 MUSCLE ACTIVITY
Skeletal Muscles

Approximately 400 skeletal muscles

40 percent of human body weight

Provide power for force and motion in the musculoskeletal system

Blood vessels and nerves distributed throughout muscle tissue to

deliver fuel and provide feedback

Skeletal muscles are connected to bones by tendons which consists of

fibrous tissue that transmits force and motions exerted by muscle
contraction.
SKELETAL MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS

• Concentric muscle contraction – muscle becomes shorter when it

contracts

• Eccentric muscle contraction – muscle elongates when it contracts

• Isometric muscle contraction – muscle length stays the same when

it contracts

• Muscle contraction is enabled by the conversion of chemical

energy into mechanical energy.

• The conversion process is known as metabolism

 METABOLISM

Sum of the biochemical reactions that occur in the cells of living organisms

Functions:

 Provide energy for vital processes and activities, including muscle

contraction

 Assimilate new organic material into the body

 Metabolism can be viewed as an energy rate process.

 TYPES OF METABOLISM
• Basal metabolism – energy used only to sustain the vital circulatory and respiratory

functions

• •Activity metabolism – energy associated with physical activity

• •Digestive metabolism – energy used for digestion

• •Daily metabolic rates:

• –TMRd = BMRd + AMRd + DMRd

• For a 20 year old male: BMRh/kg = 1.0 kcal per hour per kg of body weight.

• For a 20 year old female, BMRh/kg = 0.9 kcal/hr per kg of the body weight. (As a person

ages, his or her basal metabolism rate declines slowly, so the age correction is simply to

subtract 2% from the preceding values for each decade above 20 years)
 NUMERICAL BASED ON DAILY BASAL
METABOLISM RATE
• Calculate the daily basal metabolism rate for a 35 year old
woman who weighs 130 lb.

Ans

• The hourly basal metabolism rate must be adjusted for woman’s age.

• Given that she is 1.5 decades older than 20 years, the age correction
would be 1.5 (.02) = 0.03

• Adjusted BMRh/kg value is 0.9 ( 1-0.03) = 0.873 kcal/hr/kg of body

weight.
 BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS IN
METABOLISM
 Food categories:

 Carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) – converted into glucose (C6H12O6) and glycogen

 Primary source of energy muscle, brain, nervous system and RBC, helps in
regulating fat metabolism.

 Proteins (4 kcal/g) – converted into amino acids

 Helps in body tissue growth and maintenance of hormones, enzymes and

antibody protection

 Lipids (9 kcal/g) – converted into fatty acids (acetic acid and glycerol)

 Use in energy source for body surrounds and cushions vital organs, helps in
maintaining body temperature. Essential in vitamins A, D, K E
• Not that all microorganisms are bad. You have between 2

and 5 pounds of bacteria living inside you, much of it in the

intestines. As scientists have begun to understand what that

microbial life is up to, it has become clear that your internal

“microbiome” is a big part of what keeps you healthy.

 Statistics- Basics

 Anthropometric variables usually follow a normal distribution curve.

 Thus curve has a mean and standard deviation. (refer the mathematical
formula to calculate mean and standard deviation from normal distribution
curve)

 The more individuals that can be measured in an anthropometric survey, the

more accurate the estimates will be. A statistic known as the standard error of
the mean (se) is calculated to enable accuracy to be estimated.

 Se = sd/√n, where sd is standard deviation of the mean and n is the number of

people measured in the survey.
Normal Distribution in Anthropometry
 Properties of a Normal Distribution Curve

 The normal distribution is symmetric about the mean x , ; 50% of the values lie above the mean (to the right), and
50% of the values lie below the mean (to the left). Because the mean divides the distribution in half, the mean is also
the median. Because the maximum point on the graph occurs at the mean, the mean is also the mode of the
distribution.

 100% of the distribution lies below the curve, the total area below the curve is 100% or 1.

 Approximately 68.3% of the distribution lies within one standard deviation of the mean; that is, the area below the
curve between and is about 0.683.

 Approximately 95.4% of the distribution lies within two standard deviations of the mean; that is, the area below the
curve between and is about 0.954.

 The area below the curve between x = a and x = b is P(a < x < b), the probability that a given x-value will lie between
 CALCULATING PERCENTILE VALUE
OF THE BODY DIMENSION
 Any percentile may be calculated if mean and sd are known.

 The pth percentile of a variable X is given by,

 Xp = m+z SD

 Where z is the constant for the percentile concerned which we look up in the

statistical table.

 For a convention purpose, Whenever a number is followed by another is square

bracket, it refers to mean and standard deviation.

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORMAL DISTRIBUTION AND
STANDARD NORMAL DISTRIBUTION CURVE

 Normal distribution can be fully described by its mean and standard deviation

(SD). A normal distribution is called Standard Normal Distribution when its

mean is zero and SD is equal to 1

Example: A survey of daily travel time had these results (in
minutes): 26, 33, 65, 28, 34, 55, 25, 44, 50, 36, 26, 37, 43, 62, 35,
38, 45, 32, 28, 34

 The Mean is 38.8 minutes, and the Standard Deviation is 11.4 minutes.

 Convert the values to z-scores ("standard scores").

 To convert 26:

 first subtract the mean: 26 - 38.8 = -12.8,

 then divide by the Standard Deviation: -12.8/11.4 = -1.12

 So 26 is -1.12 Standard Deviations from the Mean ( This is Z score for plotting standard

normal distribution curve)

• Here are the first three conversions
• •Original Value Calculation Standard Score (z-score)

• 26 (26-38.8) / 11.4 = -1.12

• 33 (33-38.8) / 11.4 = -0.51
• 65 (65-38.8) / 11.4 = +2.30......
 “Stature of men is 1740 [70] mm which means that stature of
british men is normally distributed with a mean of 1740 mm and a
std deviation of 70 mm.

 Suppose we wish to calculate the 90th percentile of

the stature of male adult indian population.

 from the table we see that, for p = 90, z = 1.28 This

means that 90th percentile is greater than the mean

by 1.28 times the standard deviation

 So, 90 percentile value = 1740 +70 *1.28 = 1830

mm.
We have to estimate 5th percentile popliteal height of Indian
males. From table, we can find that
Mean=415, Sd = 21
STANDING HEIGHTS OF MALES AND
FEMALES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
 ANTHROPOMETRIC DESIGN
PRINCIPLES

 Design for extreme individuals

 Design for adjustability

 Design for the average user

 Design different sizes for different size users

 DESIGN FOR EXTREME INDIVIDUALS

Designing for the maximum

 Doorway heights

 Automobile door openings

 Mattress sizes

Designing for the minimum

 Heights of kitchen cabinets

 Locations of levers and dials on equipment

 Weights of portable power tools

 DESIGN FOR ADJUSTABILITY
 To accommodate a wide range of users

Examples:

–Automobile driver seats

–Adjustable steering wheel in an automobile

–Office chairs

–Worktable heights

–Tilt angles of computer monitors

–Lawnmower handle heights

–Bicycle handlebars
 EXAMPLE
 The measurements are taken with the human body

dimensional co-ordinates x, y, z with respect to

body land marks as reference points. at work or

motion in the workspace. Typically they are

represented in three dimensional co-ordinates x, y, z

with respect to body land marks as reference points:

 In automobile design, at first the position of the

occupant/driver with comfortable driving posture on

the seat is defined. Then all other components are

arranged around the driver to provide easy reach,

vision and control operations.

 DESIGN FOR AVERAGE USER

 For situations in which design for extreme individuals and adjustability

are not feasible

 Examples:

 Stair heights

 Stadium seats

 Sofas

 Heights of checkout counters at supermarkets

 Lengths of shovel handles

 DIFFERENT SIZES FOR DIFFERENT
SIZE USERS

When the only way to accommodate user population is to

make the product in different sizes

Examples:

 Clothing

 Shoes

 Elementary school desks and chairs

 FITTING THE PERSON TO THE JOB

• Considers worker’s physical and mental aptitudes in employment

decisions

–For example, using worker size and strength as criteria for

physical work

Common philosophy prior to ergonomics

•FPJ is still important

–For example, educational requirements for technical positions

 FITTING THE JOB TO THE PERSON

 Opposite of FPJ

 Philosophy: design the job so that any member of the work force can perform it

 Why the FJP philosophy has evolved:

 Changes in worker skill requirements

 Demographic changes (e.g. more women in the workforce)

 Social and political changes (e.g., equal opportunity laws)