Dear Readers,
As we bid farewell to the fleeting summer months, I am hoping that you found an opportunity to read the July Ergonomics in Design special issue on Anthropometry in Design. I want to thank Drs. Tom Albin and Johan Molenbroek for their outstanding contributions to the journal. As we return to our regular editorial calendar, I am pleased to present our final issue of 2023, which covers a diversity of topics ranging from industrial equipment design to the usability of emerging technologies.
This issue presents Kuber and Rashedi’s innovative work designing an adjustable forklift backrest for operators of diverse sizes and heights. The authors used anthropometric databases and digital human modeling to create a prototype that can be adjusted to accommodate the smallest (5th-percentile females) to the largest operators (95th-percentile males). They then conducted field testing and laboratory assessments to refine the prototype. This research underscores the significance of human factors in designing industrial equipment for multi-operator comfort and presents a design approach that can be adapted for similar products.
A study by Marteli et al. explored how people with Parkinson’s disease manipulate buttons and zippers during dressing and undressing tasks. The researchers divided participants into two groups: older adults with Parkinson’s and neurologically matched healthy individuals. They found that, compared to their healthy counterparts, participants with early to moderate Parkinson's struggled with dressing and undressing tasks, especially when dealing with smaller clothing fasteners. While larger buttons and zippers improved interaction and usability, the authors contend that larger artifacts might lead to social stigma and underutilization. The authors emphasize that efforts to promote independence among individuals with Parkinson’s should consider both ergonomics in design as well as social and cultural factors.
Three papers in this issue consider emerging technologies and their successful adaptation in different industries. In a scientific literature review, Brown et al. explored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) implementations in ergonomics. The authors highlighted AR/VR's successful use across industries for addressing ergonomic concerns (e.g., workload, situational awareness, information processing, training, and usability) while stressing the critical importance of determining application goals and considering the tradeoffs and potential gains of AR/VR solutions when choosing these emerging technologies.
Larbaigt and Lemercier worked with a group of agricultural advisors to test AR smart eyewear for comfort and user experience during vine observation. They identified three essential mobility aspects: crossing trellises, bending, and head adjustment, as related to eyewear hardware comfort and assessed device acceptability under two control modes: voice and button. In addition to providing several practical recommendations to enhance smart eyewear acceptance, the study emphasized the importance of a participatory design approach, involving real users and both subjective and objective assessments.
While we enjoy using the latest gadgets and technology, we often experience frustration when technology does not work as intended. Ferreri and Mayhorn explored how technology glitches and expectations shape users' attitudes and actions toward that technology. For this study, participants engaged in a scavenger hunt task using an iPad with the AR Interactive Storytelling app. The malfunction stimulus was a quick response code that presented an error message when scanned. Prior to using the app, participants' expectations were influenced by a researcher reading one of three scripts—differentiated only by a single phrase, which portrayed the application positively, negatively, or neutrally to generate high, low, or no performance expectations, respectively. The authors found a connection between malfunctions and product expectations in that individuals facing a malfunction with high hopes were more prone to lodge complaints.
Last but not least, research conducted by Khadatkar and Shukla explored the optimal positioning of tractor controls for Indian agricultural tractor drivers. The authors analyzed the anthropometric body dimensions of more than 8,000 male agricultural workers from 12 regions of the country to create reach envelopes for both hand- and foot-operated controls (e.g., steering wheel, clutch pedal, brake pedal, and accelerator pedal). They then developed workspace envelopes (accommodating drivers from the 5th to the 95th percentiles) that could be implemented in designing tractors and self-propelled machinery for the specified population.
I hope you enjoy the many ergonomic insights and topics provided in this issue, and, as always, I welcome your feedback.
All the best,
