Integrating human factors early in the design process using digital human modelling and surrogate modelling

Abstract

Embedding ergonomics in the design process is often delayed as it requires building physical prototypes and human subject data collection. This causes retrofitting or expensive late design changes which increase overall cost and time-to-market. This paper presents a computational design methodology that employs Digital Human Modelling (DHM) research and the surrogate modelling technique to integrate ergonomics early in design. The goal of this methodology is to provide a proactive ergonomics assessment toolset that allows designers to identify the effects of design variables on human performance, computationally. In this research, a design space exploration study was conducted to evaluate the ergonomics of a concept aircraft cockpit model built based on a set of flight deck layout variables. Variability in the pilot's anthropometry was added through accommodating the extremities in population-based on computational human manikins. A genetic algorithm with the surrogate model was used to search the concept variants that meet ergonomics objectives. The results show that the proposed proactive ergonomics approach allows designers to explore the design space and evaluate trade-offs between the competing design objectives early in design. Our computational ergonomics approach, based on the cockpit packaging study, demonstrates the advantages of the DHM based surrogate modelling during product conceptualisation.