Design of a suitable, i.e. safe and comfortable human-machine system is a complex task that requires highly diverse aspects to be addressed. The design process (for example for seated workstations) must take account of product requirements that subsequently prevent users of the product from suffering postural defects, fatigue or injury. The dimensions and movement envelopes selected for various parts of the body must therefore be adequate, i.e. adapted to the anticipated user group, and must be correctable if necessary by means of adjustable elements. The design exercises are intended to explain and facilitate the application of body dimensions by designers and standards developers. In the first phase, selection of the body dimensions focuses upon the specific situation of applying a metrical value (e.g. percentile values stated in a table or database) as realistically and correctly as possible to the virtual technical representation of the planning environment. In this context, the planning environment can be regarded as the sum of all human-machine interfaces in which consideration must be given to the aspects of available space, systems providing support of and protection for the body, visual fields, and control and contact components. As in the case of the passenger compartment referred to below, sub-tasks must be completed in each planning environment. Examples of these sub-tasks will be addressed in the next section and evaluated with respect to the risks associated with application of the data.
The case studies in the table below concern design tasks that can be completed by the correct application of a body dimension from a collection or table of anthropometric data. Different constellations of the causes stated above give rise to different risks. These are marked and require appropriate information. Even at this stage, that of selection, differences are evident in the requirements profile for correct application of the body dimension(s) for the design tasks at hand: the risk associated with application and the relevant application factors differ accordingly for the body dimensions involved.
