Ergonomics & Design

January 30, 2013

Thumb Reach Distances and Envelopes for Handheld Devices

Applied researchers Otten, Karn and Parsons where tasked with designing a handheld consumer camera requiring thumb operated controls. They were surprised to find that very little data was available for such devices, so they embarked on a collaborative research and design project to collect their own data, which they later shared in the published journal Human Factors. Peter Budnick reviews their work, describing it as a good example of "informed design," which he describes requiring an ergonomic, human-centered approach. The researchers also used novel techniques to collect thumb reach distance and envelope data, and also applied the "Mr. Potato Head" method to investigate control location preferences.
December 20, 2012

Ergonomics Inspired Reference and Training Manual Aims to Cut Gun Fatalities

In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, the late Hal Hendrick is interviewed by journalist Jennifer Anderson regarding a forthcoming book he had co-authored, "Human Factors Issues in Handgun Safety and Forensics." As the gun violence debate erupts in the USA following the senseless and tragic deaths of 20 innocent children and 6 adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, we reflect on the role that Ergonomics and Human Factors can -- and should -- play in the prevention of unnecessary gun related deaths, injuries, as well as any regulations that may follow.
December 14, 2012

Ergonomics an Afterthought for Lounge Chair Classics?

The icons look as if they were designed today, but some are over 80 years old. And all suit open-plan living, a concept of architectural design that remains as popular today as when Frank Lloyd Wright et al introduced it in the 1920s. This article was originally published in The Ergonomics Report, and contains an update with pictures of Frank Lloyd Wright chairs taken at Taliesin West, where Wright spent his winters later in life.
March 28, 2010

Ergonomics Concepts

Ergonomics Concepts Introduction er·go·nom·ics \,ûrg-go-‘näm-iks\ The science of work. Ergonomics removes barriers to quality, productivity and safe human performance by fitting products, tasks, and environments to […]