Computerized Tools for Human Simulation and Ergonomic Evaluation of car Interiors

Abstract

Cars are a media fulfilling vital part of the society's need of transports as well as representing an icon of the technical development by underlining critical aspects of man and machine interface. However, various studies show that drivers experience pain and fatigue and also get disorders due to frequent or longterm driving at poor body postures. Through integration of ergonomics into the early design phase these issues can be minimized. Comfort and safety are of special importance when designing car interiors. Comfort is complex. Interior parameters such as; aesthetics, cabin space, ease of reaching controls, luminance, noise, odor, seat design, styling, climate and vibration affect the driving experience. Perceived comfort is to some extent possible to replicate by computer simulation of the human being, which at the same time could illuminate ergonomics by means of various ergonomic evaluation methods in some case integrated in these tools. This paper is a survey of such three tools, ANNIE-Ergoman, JACK and RAMSIS, used for human simulation and ergonomic evaluation. By these tools it is possible to evaluate clearance, comfort, field of vision and reach. The tools are compared and the comparison shows that all three tools have great potential in evaluating car interiors ergonomically in the early design phase. But the comparison also highlights differences between these tools and areas where one tool is superior the other. The paper points on areas as: manikins' skin representation and manikin's movements require further improvements. The paper also underlines the importance having tool-users with insight in the ergonomic evaluation methods. Furthermore, enhancement of the ergonomic evaluation methods and the integration between simulation and ergonomic evaluation methods are also needed.