Engineering Anthropometry - Fundamentals and Assessment Tools for Occupational Ergonomics - page 178

TABLE 9.1 Terms Used in Engineering Anthropometry
Anthropometry — measure of the human body. The term is derived from the Greek words “anthropos” human and
“metron” (measure)
Breadth — straight line, point-to-point horizontal measurement running across the body or a body segment
Circumference — closed measurement following a body contour, hence this measurement is usually not circular
Curvature — point-to-point measurement following a body contour; this measurement is neither closed nor usually circular
Depth — straight line, point-to-point horizontal measurement running fore-aft the body
Distance — straight line, point-to-point measurement, usually between landmarks of the body
Height — straight line, point-to-point vertical measurement
Reach — point-to-point measurement following the long axis of an arm of leg
Coronal — in a plane that cuts the body into fore-aft (anterior - posterior) sections; same as frontal
Frontal — in a plane that cuts the body into fore-aft (anterior - posterior) sections; same as coronal
Medical — in a plane that cuts the body into left and right halves; same as mid-sagittal (also see below)
Mid-sagittal — in a plane that cuts the body into left and right halves; same as medical
Sagittal — in a plane parallel to the medical plane (occasionally used as medical)
Transverse — in a plane that cuts the body into upper and lower (superior and inferior) sections
Terms related to location
Anterior — in front of, toward the front of the body
Deep — away from, below, the surface; opposite of superficial
Distal a — away from the center of the body; opposite of proximal
Dorsal — toward the back or spine; opposite of ventral
Inferior — below, toward the bottom; opposite of superior
Medical — near or toward the middle (also see above)
Lateral — to the side, away from the middle
Posterior — behind, toward the back of the body; opposite of anterior
Proximal a — toward or near the center of the body; opposite of distal
Superficial — on or near the surface of the body; opposite of deep
Superior — above, toward the top; opposite of inferior
Ventral — toward the abdomen (occasionally used like anterior)
Note: For terms related to body reference planes, see Figure 9.1.
a Distal and proximal usually refer to limbs with the point of reference at the attachment to the next larger section of the
body.
9.3 Designing to Fit the Body
A few common statistic terms can describe the results of anthropometric surveys because body data
usually appear, statistically speaking, in a normal (Gaussian) distribution. If the sample size is large
enough, the statistical descriptors mean (same as average), standard deviation, and range completely
define a normal distribution of data (see below for more detail).
Misunderstanding and misuse has led to the false idea that one could “design for the average”; yet, the
mean value is larger than half the data, and smaller than the other half. Consequently, the “average” does
not describe the ranges of different statures, arm lengths, or hip breadths. Furthermore, one is unlikely
ever to encounter a person who displays mean values in several, many, or all dimensions. The mythical
“average person” is nothing but a statistical phantom.
S TEPS IN D ESIGN THAT F IT C LOTHING ,T OOLS ,W ORKSTATIONS, AND E QUIPMENT TO THE B ODY
(Adapted from Kroemer et al., 1997, 2001)
Step 1: Select those anthropometric measures that directly relate to defined design dimensions.
Examples are: hand length related to handle size; shoulder and hip breadth related to escape-hatch
diameter; head length and breadth related to helmet size; eye height related to the heights of
windows and displays; knee height and hip breadth related to the leg room in a console.