In search of the perfect perambulator. Usability aspects of perambulators, and how to improve them

摘要

A perambulator is an important product for parents and babies up to 9 months. For most babies, the perambulator is the main method of transport when they are taken outside. Students from Delft University investigated usability aspects of the perambulator. The questions that were asked were: which ergonomic aspects make a comfortable perambulator for baby and parent? Which usability aspects can be improved on? And what is the best size for the cot of the perambulator? Nine parents with babies aged up to 11 months and with nine different types of perambulators were interviewed and asked to demonstrate how they use their perambulator. Not all babies fitted still in the cot of the perambulator. The width of the cots varied from 26 to 36 cm, the length of the cots varied between 72 and 84 cm and their heights varied from 13 to 23 cm. The participants judged a cot width of 30 cm and a cot length of 75 cm and more to be positive. More than half of them was positive about the maneuverability of the pram. Two of the prams lacked suspension, which was seen as negative aspect by the participants. One third of the participants complained about the umbrella, which is difficult to reposition and fixate. Putting the baby in the perambulator was easy for all participants. The storage bag under the perambulator showed several usability problems. For some prams, much force is needed for folding. Transporting the pram in a car is often difficult. Suggestions for improvement of the usability of perambulators are given.