Virtual prototyping for workplace analysis: the effect of expectation on perceived comfort while using office devices

Abstract

Computer aided technologies (CAT) are becoming an indispensable instrument to design, improve and manufacture new products and services. Digital human modelling (DHM) systems allow to simulate the Human-artifact interface and to evaluate, in early step of design process, the ergonomic performances of new products or workplaces. In particular, for products that have to be used in a “constrained” workplace, different tasks and activities are associated with different postures. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of anthropometric characteristics and expectations on the postural comfort perception through the CAT/DHM systems, while using four office devices: desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet and smartphone. A statistical sample of healthy students was selected and their anthropometric characteristics were measured. The postures assumed by the participants were gathered in a not-invasive way by cameras. The angular detection was performed directly on snapshots by using Kinovea® software. Human joints’ an-gles were used for the virtual-postural analysis, through DELMIA® software. The evaluation of postural comfort was obtained in two ways: CaMAN® software developed by the researchers from the Department of Industrial Engineering in Salerno (Italy) was used to calculate the objective comfort indexes while an appropriate questionnaire, given to subjects during the devices usage, was used to evaluate the subjective com-fort indexes. The results of analyses show a difference between subjective and objective postural comfort indexes for all the devices: this difference has been associated to the expectations.