Seating, Console and Workplace Design: Seated Operator Reach Profiles

Abstract

Traditional methods for the characterization of reach envelopes have been based upon systems designed for static measurement of reach and have been frequently less accurate than is desirable for design recommendations. This paper describes the development and validation of a methodology for dynamic measurement of reach envelopes, based upon a position-sensing potentiometric system. The characterization of reach envelopes for restrained and unrestrained male and female seated operators is also described. Anthropometric data of subject populations, example reach envelope contours and comparisons of data from the present study with previous reach envelope data are presented.