It is the study of people's efficiency in their working environment. -New Oxford American Dictionary
Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability.
- wikipedia
An applied science that coordinates the design of devices, systems, and physical working conditions with the capacities and requirements of the worker. - Dictionary.reference.com
My understanding and definition of ergonomics:
Ergonomics is the science of designing the job and devices, equipment, systems, workplace and physical workplace to fit the worker's requirements and capacities and ensure the efficiency of the worker in their working environment.
2. What are the 5 aspects of Ergonomics?
There are five aspects of ergonomics: safety, comfort, ease of use, productivity/performance, and aesthetics. Based on these aspects of ergonomics, examples are given below of how products or systems could benefit from redesign based on ergonomic principles. The benefits of an ergonomic redesign often cross over into more than one category.
Safety: E.g. Medicine bottles — print sizes could be enlarged so those with impaired vision (due to sinus problems, for example) can more easily read the label instructions. Ergonomics can discover the optimum font style, color and size to enhance readability using the limited space available on a medicine label.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chemistryland.com/ChemEdArticle/PrescriptionBottle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chemistryland.com/ChemEdArticle/PowerPoint.html&usg=__cFfubbDK6M3hUCE6RoV_Moey0yY=&h=412&w=500&sz=34&hl=en&start=3&sig2=5km1dVCalnIV0_WN60Tg1g&tbnid=MAa09wkJrJsgYM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=130&ei=Sl1ITOjFII_4cPuF4aMM&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmedicine%2Bbottles%2Bwith%2Blabel%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D580%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1
Comfort: E.g. Alarm clock display — some displays are harshly bright, drawing one’s eye to the light or keeping one awake when surroundings are dark. Ergonomic principles could redesign this based on contrast principles and include automatic dimming functions in low-light environments (such as when a user has turned off the room lights to sleep).
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.227volts.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/big-alarm-clock.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.227volts.com/%3Fm%3D200809%26paged%3D2&usg=__4g5_C6SZnUanUNwKypU6m2fp16I=&h=300&w=300&sz=12&hl=en&start=0&sig2=wz0FIFYp7UxC5z7Fto-N5Q&tbnid=QztuWIYTYufIlM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=151&ei=b11ITN7THIu6cefRkbEM&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalarm%2Bclock%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D580%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=131&vpy=98&dur=1126&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=136&ty=105&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Ease of use: E.g. Street Signs — in an unfamiliar area, it can be quite difficult to spot street signs. This could be addressed by using principles of visual detection to make street signs more visible.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://danielschereck.com/wp2004/imageslud/r20030208-ludwigsburgsign.jpg&imgrefurl=http://danielschereck.com/wp2004/wp-ludwigsburg.htm&usg=__e_VLrEhQFDUrzTdW51OTXvyKFmg=&h=368&w=504&sz=49&hl=en&start=0&sig2=2oXBuUkSjPqGi_9mQG_hqA&tbnid=1ypdOmrtnNh9JM:&tbnh=168&tbnw=225&ei=Al9ITO-vK9XccPnd6a4M&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbright%2Bstreet%2Bsigns%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D474%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=519&vpy=95&dur=1836&hovh=192&hovw=263&tx=189&ty=116&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0
Productivity/performance: E.g. Office furniture/equipment — the use of ergonomically designed office furniture and equipment (such as office chairs and computer input devices) can drastically reduce work-related injuries and employee absences.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/503156572/ergonomic-chair-786724_bigger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://twitter.com/ergo_chair&usg=__q6BBvlKtPCgB0e-zXtpL5DuIJNs=&h=358&w=379&sz=10&hl=en&start=0&sig2=FJ2s17seCrRgHVcaV9nt5g&tbnid=owQ63ivxj8I86M:&tbnh=152&tbnw=183&ei=KF9ITObvAp34cPmonKsM&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dergonomic%2Bchair%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D474%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=295&vpy=101&dur=1229&hovh=218&hovw=231&tx=151&ty=114&page=1&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0
Aesthetics: E.g. Signs in the workplace — signage could be made more aesthetic by using a consistent format throughout the workplace.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.exponent.com/files/Uploads/Images/Biomechanics/trip%2520signs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://minutemanparking.com/news/2008/12/&usg=__f0gHJd7bMk6ohs5UmKdItdW1JjY=&h=300&w=400&sz=72&hl=en&start=0&sig2=wiyemLRbsgLEFpq529ZJ0g&tbnid=_glp7wGRtKsj3M:&tbnh=146&tbnw=194&ei=619ITLzrM4K8ccr4tKkM&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dworkplace%2Bsigns%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D474%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=982&vpy=121&dur=1493&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=177&ty=105&page=1&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0
-http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics#Five_aspects_of_ergonomics
3. For each aspects of Ergonomics, explain with an example of a product that is designed for the elderly, how the product meet that particular aspect of Ergonomics.
Safety: E.g. Medicine bottles — print sizes could be enlarged so those elderly with impaired vision (due to sinus problems, for example) can more easily read the label instructions. Ergonomics can discover the optimum font style, color and size to enhance readability using the limited space
available on a medicine label. Picture is same as above.
Comfort: E.g. Make a product for example a chair that gives the elderly good support. It may be made of spongy material to make the chair even comfortable for the elderly to sit on and have parts that angle the chair according to the elderly's posture to suit his or her needs. Picture is same as above.
Ease of use: E.g. The product
made must be elder-friendly and must not have a complicated system which the elderly would have to know to use the product as it is not easy.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://eldergadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/elderly-computers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.eldergadget.com/category/elderfriendly-computers&usg=__XB_8DoDIoGjCvPwxoWGTPPrde_M=&h=287&w=450&sz=26&hl=en&start=0&sig2=h0GT_lp04oTejZ6JeX3XEg&tbnid=AWOtZZARyaH0tM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=213&ei=EuxLTMa6J4TCrAec6IW6Dg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delderly%2Bfriendly%2Binterface%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D583%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C4&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=271&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1280&bih=583
Productivity/performance: E.g. We can design a ergonomic sofa for the elderly to use and ensure that it reduces the chances of injuries caused by the sofa happening.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.inmagine.com/img/tongro/tg169/tg169002.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inmagine.com/tg169/tg169002-photo&usg=__yhJRnQ4VbjwpCkAfny8o5eMwAKA=&h=400&w=400&sz=57&hl=en&start=18&sig2=gaeK8t4RRvmhyDFAKDGJCg&tbnid=S5Nn2wtQsUOXWM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=143&ei=m-xLTK_JJ4aevQOmoOy7Cg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delderly%2Bfriendly%2Bsofa%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D583%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C448&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=190&page=2&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:18&biw=1280&bih=583
Aesthetics: E.g. the product made for the elderly can have a simple, plain look as elderly might not prefer furnitures with lots of sharp colours and graffiti arts on the surface as its design.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://somethingboutrenes.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ino-mobile-front.jpg&imgrefurl=http://somethingboutrenes.wordpress.com/category/marketing-insight/&usg=__IjGd130txCcD1AWkgUXlTRz1YaA=&h=480&w=360&sz=15&hl=en&start=0&sig2=NtsufgSIwF0P6dxsgnHSAA&tbnid=BN7RL9ZzYvVgdM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=134&ei=8exLTOXWKoO4rAeX_725Dg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delderly%2Bfriendly%2Bsimple%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D583%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=688&vpy=206&dur=2114&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=75&ty=130&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0
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