Development of an Integrated Ergonomic CAD System for Evaluating Designs for Human Factors and Safety

摘要

This paper describes the integration of NexGen Ergonomics ManneQuin software with the industry standard AutoCAD, producing a system that provides designers with a powerful graphical tool to evaluate designs for human factors and safety criteria. Many researchers and designers have wanted a CAD-based ergonomic program for some time, and the absence of a truly integrated system was the motivating factor for program development. This paper explains the steps taken to integrate these two software packages. Designers now have an ergonomic CAD system to help design products according to the physical abilities and characteristics of end users. This integrated technology can potentially revolutionize the way products are designed and significantly reduce the alarming number of related injuries, thus saving millions of dollars.