TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER - ENHANCING MARINE ERGONOMICS WITH AUTOMOTIVE DIGITAL HUMAN MODELS

摘要

In numerous ways automobiles and boats share many ergonomic features and similarities, e.g. the driver and coxswainmay sit in a seat and steer the vehicle using a wheel. The dynamic motion of the boat, and the different operationalscenarios, mean that effective ergonomic solutions are more complex than for the typical car driver. The boat requireseffective occupant postural stability as well as easy ingress and egress. The automotive sector has produced ergonomicdesign tools, e.g. RAMSIS CAD software - a Digital Human Model, to support the development of good ergonomicfeatures. Therefore the potential exists to transfer this automotive technology to the marine sector to support thedevelopment of effective ergonomic solutions for the complex marine environment. An evaluation of the RAMSIS tooldemonstrated that for the marine sector it is effective in conditions similar to those found in typical automotiveconditions. But, for the more extreme marine environments, where the crew is required to use protective clothing andequipment, and use marine specific seating/postural support, the limitations of RAMSIS need to be addressed. It isrecognised that DHMs are an effective tool for designing effective marine ergonomic solutions but further work isneeded to address the specific requirements of the marine environment and its requirements.