Understanding Anthropometrics in Design
Definition
Anthropometrics
Measurement of the human physical dimensions (e.g., height, arm length, reach), collected as static or dynamic data and often expressed in percentile ranges.
Static Data
Definition
Static Data
Static anthropometric data are body measurements taken when a person is still and in a standard position, such as arm length or overhead reach.
- Static Data is measurements collected when the human body is static (still).
- Data can be collected using callipers (breadth, diameter and depth of a body part), a stadiometer (vertical height) or an anthropometer (length between two fixed points).
- Chair - measurement of knee to foot length is used to calculate the correct height for sitting comfortably on a chair.
- Standing table - measurement of elbow height when seated to ensure proper desk height.
- Door Width and Height - measurement of shoulder breadth and overall height to ensure doorways accommodate various body sizes.
Dynamic Data
Definition
Dynamic Data
Dynamic anthropometric data are body measurements taken when a person is in motion, such as during walking, reaching, or bending.
- Dynamic Data is measurements collected when the human body is in motion, specifically to measure a person’s reach, strength or movement.
- Data can be collected using motion capture sensors (reach), dynamometers (strength / force) and goniometers (range of movement).
- Reach - the arm reach of a driver to ensure they can reach the dashboard controls of the car.
- Strength - the force required to move or rotate the wheels of a wheelchair.
- Movement - the range of movement of a cyclist's knees when designing the pedal mechanism
The method of data collection and the sample size influence the validity of the anthropometric data collected.
