DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR ERGONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF A CONTROL LAYOUT IN TRACTORS

摘要

Efficient operation of a machine depends upon the design of its control layout. The literature documents several factors that are of importance in the design of a control panel. Despite knowledge about each individual factor, it is not known how these factors should be combined to yield an overall ergonomic assessment of a specific control layout. The objective of this paper is to describe the initial steps in a process to establish a numerical index capable of comparing, on a mathematical basis, different control arrangements in agricultural tractors. The model will be based on information that has been gleaned from the published literature, with input from both professional ergonomists and experienced agricultural tractor operators.