28-09-2012, 05:10 PM
AUTOMOTIVE ERGONOMICS
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INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMOTIVE ERGONOMICS
Designing an automobile product such as car or truck involves the integration of inputs from many disciplines (e.g. Designersbody engineers,power-train engineers,ergonomics engineers).The design activities are driven by the intricate coordinate and simultaneous consideration of many requirement and trade-offs between the requirements of different system in vehicle. The system should not only function well but they must also satisfy the customer who purchase & use the products. The field of ergonomics or human factors engineering in the automotive product development involves working with many different vehicle design teams(e.g. management teams,exterior teams) to assure that all important ergonomic requirements & issues are considered at the earliest time & resolved to accommodate the needs of the users while using the vehicle
ERGONOMICS: WHAT IS IT?
Ergonomics is a multidisciplinary science involving fields that have information about people (e.g. psychology, anthropometry,).It involves studying human characteristic, capabilities, & limitations & Appling this information to design & evaluate the equipment’s& systems that people use.
The basic goal of ergonomics is to design equipment that will achieve the best possible fit between the users (drivers) & the equipment (vehicle) such that the user’s safety (freedom from harm, injury, & loss), comfort, convenience, performance, & efficiency are improved
The field of ergonomics is also called “human engineering”
IMPORTANCE OF ERGONOMICS:
If a product is designed well the following effects or outcomes are expected
• An ergonomically designed product should fit people (like a well-fitting suit). Thus, when it is time to replace an old product, a customer will most likely purchase a newer version of the same product that fits him or her well. This suggests that ergonomically designed products are more likely to purchase.
• An ergonomically designed product can be used with minimal mental or physical work. Thus, as product usage increases, the absence of problems while using the product.
• An ergonomically designed product is easy to learn.
• A product with usability problems can be quickly noticed usually after use. Thus, ergonomic characteristics of many products are not having an opportunity to use them.
• Ergonomically designed products are generally more efficient.
WHY APPLY ERGONOMICS?
• It creates functionally superior products, processes, or systems
• Cost & time consuming redesign can be avoided
• There are thousands of ways to design a product, but only a few designs are truly outstanding.
Passenger Ergonomics
Virtual reality (VR) is one of the many cutting-edge tools engineers use in crafting car ergonomics. VR spares designers the need to craft a full-scale model. Instead, a male designer can go along for a virtual ride as, say, a teenage girl, seeing how seatbelt placement or the sculpting of a seat affects her.
With human beings generally living longer, as well as growing taller and heavier, it's important for cars to be able to adapt to serving more diverse populations. Similarly, the presence of more elderly drivers and passengers means that cars have to accommodate their needs; in particular, they have to be easy for these folks to get in and out of. Using virtual modeling allows engineers to simulate the behaviors of the elderly or those with special needs, ensuring that car interiors are designed and tested for an increasingly diverse population.
Despite the utility of VR and computer modeling, physical prototypes are important for testing designs in the real world. Ford, for example, creates prototypes called bucks after trying out designs in virtual simulations [source: Auto web]. These bucks are then tested by engineers, other Ford employees and outside people brought in to offer an objective perspective.
While these modeling methods provide plenty of data and flexibility, it's up to engineers to figure out how to best use them. For example, an engineer may have to choose whether to make a passenger seat more comfortable by adjusting its size, shape or position in relation to the rest of the car (which may allow a passenger more room to stretch his or her legs).
Besides ensuring comfort and ease of use, ergonomic design, or the lack thereof, has a role to play in safety in the event of an accident. Many headrests aren't designed in an ergonomic manner at all. They don't actually work with the rider and support his or her head and neck, so they don't provide adequate support in the event of a crash. A study by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that most car headrests didn't protect well against whiplash. The institute tested 70 seat and head restraints for whiplash protection and just eight received "good" ratings, while 30 restraints were rated "poor" [source: Croesus].
Placement of Vehicle Controls
Vehicle controls constitute an essential part of ergonomics. From cars with push-button ignitions like many Toyota models, notably the Prius -- to power seats, automatic headlights, automatic climate control and electronic parking brakes, the latest in ergonomic innovation is often characterized by automation and ease of use. These features are, notably, easier for disabled drivers to use and allow many drivers to simply set a goal, such as a desired temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius), and the car does the rest.
One of the more intriguing trends in ergonomic design is the attention now paid to older drivers. All types of cars -- including sports cars -- are now being designed to have controls with larger text and better lighting to maximize readability, particularly for older or functionally disabled drivers. Even door handles are being made to allow a better grip for people with conditions like arthritis.
To design controls suitable for older or even for pregnant drivers, some auto engineers put on suits that limit their mobility and range of vision or that come with a large belly, mimicking pregnancy. Elaborate bodysuits won't always do, so engineers do often turn to virtual reality and computer modeling. This flexibility means that an engineer can easily test how a certain control configuration might be used by a 6-foot, 200-pound man or a 5-foot, 120-pound. Women and Men everyone in between. These programs also allow for testing for people with disabilities, unusual body types or special needs.
Exterior design
The stylist responsible for the design of the exterior of the vehicle develops the proportions, shape, and surfaces of the vehicle. Exterior design is first done by a series of digital or manual drawings. Progressively more detailed drawings are executed and approved. Clay (industrial plasticine) and or digital models are developed from, and along with the drawings. The data from these models are then used to create a full sized mock-up of the final design (body in white). With 3 and 5 axis CNC Milling Machines, the clay model is first designed in a computer program and then "carved" using the machine and large amounts of clay. Even in times of high-class 3d software and virtual models on powerwalls the clay model is still the most important tool to evaluate the design of a car and therefore used throughout the industry.
Interior design
The stylist responsible for the design of the vehicle interior develops the proportions, shape, placement, and surfaces for the instrument panel, seats, door trim panels, headliner, pillar trims, etc. Here the emphasis is on ergonomics and the comfort of the passengers. The procedure here is the same as with exterior design (sketch, digital model and clay model).
Colour and trim design
The color and trim (or color and materials) designer is responsible for the research, design, and development of all interior and exterior colors and materials used on a vehicle. These include paints, plastics, fabric designs, leather, grains, carpet, headliner, wood trim, and so on. Color, contrast, texture, and pattern must be carefully combined to give the vehicle a unique interior environment experience. Designers work closely with the exterior and interior designers.
Designers draw inspiration from other design disciplines such as: industrial design, fashion, home furnishing, architecture and sometimes Product Design . Specific research is done into global trends to design for projects two to three model years in the future.