Anthropometric
Anthropometrics
• The science that deals with the
measurement of size, weight, and
proportions of the human body.
• The use of body dimensions and
measurements to design the system to
fit the operator
Ergonomics is a design factor...
It uses Anthropometric data to
improve...
Function
Safety
Comfort
Ergonomics affects...
Shape
Layout of
controls
Texture
How color is
used
Materials
chosen
Width of
handles
The height objects
are placed
Form
Forces
required
Size of
buttons
…any interface between
people and products
Anthropometry
Q. Imagine you are
positioning an
emergency "rip cord"
on this train.
How high up should
you put it?
Anthropometry
A. Where people can
reach it!
But how could you
be sure?
Anthropometry
Take a look at this man
Anthropometry
He is average
Average age
Average weight
Average height
Average size
How do we know he is average?
Anthropometric Data
is the measurements of people
Lots and lots of people and
every possible measurement
1.75m
We know he is average
because we know the sizes of the
smallest to largest people and
how many there are of each size
Look at the range of height sizes
shortest
Average
tallest
Now look at how many people
there are of each size
Most people fit
into the middle
range
Number of people
This can represented by a graph
called a distribution curve...
Height
Number of people
The graph represents 100%
of the population
Height
Number of people
The graph is divided into 100ths
These are called Percentiles
This is the 50th Percentile
Height
Number of people
Average man belongs in the
th
50 Percentile
Height
the 50th Percentile is the largest
group of people
Anthropometry in design
It would not be possible to design a
product that would suit everyone
So Designers focus on people within
the most common size range
Designing for this range of
sizes helps make sure
products ‘fit’ as many
people as possible
Number of people
These people are in the range
between the 5th and 95th
percentiles
5th Percentile
5th to 95th percentile
is 90% of people
Height
95th Percentile
Anthropometry in design
When we are designing for people we
need to take account of different types of
Anthropometric data
Q. What information would we need before
we could to design a laptop computer?
A. Size of hands and fingers, the height and
angle of the head, the position of the wrists,
the force fingers can exert, the weight we
can carry, size of lettering we can see...
Ergonomic Design
Good Ergonomic design is based on
Anthropometric Data
Q. How has this designer
considered the user?
The seat is padded
for comfort
The seat rotates to
to reduce twisting
of the body
The seat has
5 castors so that
it won’t tip over
The seat is shaped
so the weight is
supported evenly
The handle is
easily accessible
The height adjusts
to suit different
desk heights
Ergonomic Design
How do
Anthropometrics
affect
Ergonomic design?
Q. When designing
a door who should
we consider?
A. The tallest people
Ergonomic Design
But if all doors were designed to suit the
tallest person they would need to be over
2.75 metres high!
That is a metre taller
than the average man.
Robert Pershing Wadlow 8’11” was the tallest person the tallest living person is 8’9”
So instead doors are made to suit people
using the 95th Percentile for height.
We ignore those above that height.
Number of people
1870mm
People below
the 95th Percentile
Height
95th Percentile
Ergonomic
Design
Lets look at another
example where
Anthropometrics
affects design
Q. When designing
a supermarket who
should we consider?
A. The shortest
people
Ergonomic Design
The shelves in the supermarket need to be
designed so that so that the shortest
people can reach the items safely
But the shortest person can only reach
shelves 1.5 metres high
This would mean that supermarkets would
have to be almost twice as big to stock the
same number of goods
So instead the shelves are designed using
the 5th Percentile for height. We ignore
those below that height.
Number of people
1500mm
5th Percentile
People above
the 5th Percentile
Height
Ergonomic Design
Lets look at one
more example
Q. When designing
a chair who should
we consider?
A. The shortest and
the Tallest people
Ergonomic Design
We will focus on one
measurement.
The height of the seat
This is the called
the Popliteal
measurement
Ergonomic Design
The Popliteal is the
height from the back
of the knee to the
floor when sitting
If we design for the
5th Percentile the
chair seat would be
380mm high
Ergonomic Design
If we design for the
95th Percentile the
chair seat would be
470mm high
To get the feel of this
raise your feet of the
ground…
It is uncomfortable
In this instance the designer uses the
50th Percentile for Popliteal height. So
the chair is comfortable for most people
Number of people
425mm
50th Percentile
Popliteal Height
Physiological Factors
Ergonomic considerations for Men
and Women are different
Height Women
Height Men
5%le
5%le
1514mm
1641mm
95%le 1726mm
95%le 1869mm
50%le 1620mm
50%le 1755mm
Physiological Factors
As well as gender, we may also need to
consider factors such as Age, Strength,
Dexterity, Fitness and Literacy of the user
Think about how
these factors
might affect the
design of this
medicine bottle
Psychological Factors
“What we think and feel.”
Our Reaction and Emotions
to a design will be affected by its
Shape, Color, Texture…
Our Experiences of the design
In Summary
Ergonomics is a Design factor
which takes the user into
consideration.
The designer must consider...
Anthropometrics…
Information about size and of the user
e.g. height
Physiology…
Information about The physical attributes of
the user e.g. strength
Psychology…
Information about the thoughts of the user
e.g. feeling safe