KomfortZone02 The magazine for ergonomics in the automotive industry | Drive differently — ergonomics in the car of tomorrow | New, new, new! — verification of compliance with norms, RAMSIS in NX, current research | Comfort under water — interior design in submarines | China on the move — ergonomics simulation in the largest growth market | Ergonomics at the starting line — Size NorthAmerica to measure 17,000 persons
Editorial
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KomfortZone
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What will happen in the car of tomorrow?
KomfortZone 02 is all about the future of the car. Vehicle operation as we know it is changing rapidly. Will this affect ergonomics in the car interior? Yes, definitely. We can’t predict exactly what the developments will bring – but in our discussions on current trends, we can sound out the new challenges more and more.
The first effects are already clearly noticeable: Assist ance systems from driving assistance to autono mous driving will reshape our understanding of the vehicle as a working and living space. But what will change? What new electronic components will have to be on the dashboard? How much information will drivers have to absorb? Will they move around more? Will they get tired more easily? What else would consumers like? Perhaps the Chinese market will bring a fresh wind for the “car of the future”, and here the ergonomics tool RAMSIS will play an increasingly important role. Chinese consumers are becoming more demanding, and this will gradually raise the awareness level of China’s vehicle manufacturers for their own product development – and that could be exciting: The much more intensive everyday presence of smartphones in Asia will make itself felt in vehicle interior design.
And the Chinese “Internet Car” could also initiate wholly new approaches; local Google competitors, like Alibaba/SAIC have already announced prototypes. In vehicle interior design, Asian growth market manu facturers are orienting global focus on the central challenge of ergonomics – is there a vehicle in which everyone can be comfortable? Current North Ameri can and Chinese ergonomics data for RAMSIS could show us the way to interesting solutions here. We won’t find the right answers to current issues today... but we will have them tomorrow. We’re starting this journey to the future in KomfortZone 02, with articles and possible scenarios for ergonomics in the vehicle of tomorrow – and there’s also plenty of practical information about RAMSIS, norms and research. I hope that reading this magazine will bring you enjoyment and inspiration.
Best regards, Dr. Andreas Seidl CEO Human Solutions GmbH
RAMSIS at a glance
Contents
All the programs, all the modules. Page 26.
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Trend
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China – your drivers. Interesting facts about cars, market and drivers.
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We need more horses. Communication instead of mechanics. The car of tomorrow is an intelligent system. Dr. Christian Müller of DFKI talks about autonomous driving and its effects on drivers and interior design.
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Ergonomics on the road to autonomous driving. How does easing driver stress affect interior design? Dr. Andreas Seidl with an initial forecast of the new tasks facing ergonomics simulation. 12 Agriculture runs alone. Autonomous driving – it has been done on fields for a while. August Altherr of Deere & Company explains the competitive edge through experience, economic benefits and the latest developments in modern agriculture.
Innovation
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RAMSIS research. Status report. Human Solutions is engaged in active current research, on themes like force, age-related motion limitations, and open interfaces between manikins. 18 Efficiency plus. RAMSIS NextGen is now integrated into Siemens NX and already in use at Daimler. The software in the spotlight...
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Everything by the book. View and safety standards – a lot has happened with RAMSIS.
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The RAMSIS portfolio. All the programs and modules at a glance.
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Ergonomics in the Middle Kingdom. New body dimension database and a high degree of reality – China discovers the strengths of RAMSIS for itself. Many Chinese OEMs are now also using RAMSIS.
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Living and working in a submarine. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH uses RAMSIS to create more comfort for long-term missions underwater. This involves space, accessibility, force and – amazingly – even underwater entry and exit.
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Drive better... in America. Vehicle manufacturers need current body dimension data from the US and Canada. The first representative serial measurement survey for North America will provide this data – measuring the equivalent of a small town’s population.
In practice
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Humans
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Ready to Race. KTM sends RAMSIS on to the motorcycle test track. 46
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Trend
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China – your drivers More and more: Every second, 2.6 vehicles are manufactured in the world. China contributes almost a quarter of these. Henry Ford would have loved it: Black is the preferred car color in China. White, gray and black are far ahead of the rest in the other Asian countries. Many or few? 2020 should see China with 200 million vehicles. Despite this, only 15% of the population will own a car. In Germany, 57% of the population own a car – if that were the case in China, 763 million vehicles would be on the roads there. Who’s leading? 5 of the 10 best-selling cars in China are VWs, but the number 1 is the Chinese minivan Wuling Hongguang by SAIC-GM-Wuling. However, vans and SUVs are the trend. Around one in three city dwellers who buy a new car choose one of these softroaders. Too many? In numerous Chinese cities, registration approval is meanwhile limited. Vehicle owners often have to wait months. In contrast, registering an E-car is often free.
We know all about it too! A new word expresses what more and more Chinese drivers are experiencing: Lunu – road rage! Sound familiar? They can do it: Chinese carmaker Chery was awarded 5 EuroNCAP stars for its Qoros 3 sedan in 2013. Shares or a car? Many Chinese prefer to invest in shares instead of their own cars. The high profit margins are just too tempting, as the China Daily reports. Conversely, the falling stock market prices nullify many purchases. Cheap prices are not enough. The car is a status symbol in China. Quality is number 1 everywhere. The Chinese brands are now scoring with SUVs and vans: Seven of the ten best-selling SUVs are from Chinese manufacturers.
Sources: business.financialpost.com; www.euroncap.com; www.handelsblatt.com/auto; knowledge.ckgsb.edu.cn; www.live-counter.com/autos; www.spiegel.de/auto; usa.chinadaily.com.cn; www.welt.de/motor; www.zeit.de/mobilitaet
Trend
Autonomic driving
“We need more horses�
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The 3 stages of autonomous driving Stage 1 The vehicle takes control for a short time, e.g. when braking or tracking. This stage has already been partially implemented.
Stage 2 The vehicle drives completely independently for longer periods, e.g. on the highway. Current research is at this stage.
Stage 3 The car can drive independently in both country and city. This level is not yet feasible.
For Dr. Christian Müller from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), autonomous driving means the vehicle taking full control for some time. We’re still some way from achieving that, but not as much as you might think. KomfortZone talked with Dr. Christian Müller about the (possible) effects of autono mous driving on the driver and on interior design.
KomfortZone: Dr. Müller, in medias res... What can autonomous driving give us? Müller: There are visionaries who predict falling infra structure costs and a more favorable accident and environmental balance; I’m not so sure. I think that autonomous driving makes the car especially attrac tive, because we can finally use the “dead” travel time meaningfully. Much like in trains or planes, but with much more privacy and space. KomfortZone: How are people reacting to the self-driving car? Müller: Amazingly enough, they seem unperturbed in field studies like the “Wizard of Oz” tests, where the full spectrum of autonomous driving is credibly “staged” in reality. At the start, most test persons try to steer with the system, but then they quickly occupy themselves with other things. That’s what fascinates me about this – the users have no acceptance prob lems. At least that’s how it looks. KomfortZone: What do drivers do when they’re not driving? Müller: When the car takes over completely for a longer period, they get bored. They switch off, get lost in thought, amuse themselves by reading, for instance. The tests I mentioned all indicate that. However, we can also draw on experiences from aviation – pilots have been working with autono mous systems for a while now. KomfortZone: Aviation shows the way, the auto motive industry follows. Is it that simple? Müller: Just as on a plane, we need to keep the driver actively involved, so he or she can intervene quickly when needed, but much faster than a pilot would have to react. This is the new and much more complex issue in our situation. For me, this is the
main problem for autonomous driving on the road. KomfortZone: So the biggest advantage of au tonomous driving, namely preoccupation with other things, is also the biggest challenge... how do we solve this conflict? Müller: In a sense, we have to reinvent the auto mobile. Right now, autonomous driving is regarded almost exclusively from an engineer’s point of view, in the sense of “Does it work or not?” or “What is technically possible?” We have more or less ignored the driver during the development of the technology and this triggers the conflict. However, autonomous driving can only prevail if we see man and machine as one unit as we always have done, but this time with a much more intelligent vehicle taking over more tasks. So it’s high time to bridge the gap between the system and the driver and passengers, and to achieve this, we need to integrate new information and communication media, plus the interior design, which means the ergonomics. KomfortZone: Can we already identify key issues for ergonomic design? Müller: All the cards are still on the table, of course, but I see two core issues. Firstly: How can I maintain the driver’s situation awareness or restore it quickly? The second issue is derived from this and that is, how do I observe – and reach – the driver? We have to determine in the vehicle whether the driver is active or inactive, if he’s reading or atten tively watching the traffic situation. This will affect the design of the dashboard. It’s probably better if I offer entertainment that is directly connected to the car electronics. The system can then warn me in an emergency when the driver gets a newspaper out of his pocket and is no longer accessible for the vehicle.
Autonomic driving Trend
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KomfortZone: How will the vehicle of the future interact with the driver? Müller: Interact is not really accurate – strictly speaking it’s actually cooperation. This illustrates the great paradigm shift that we’re facing. The car of the future will be controlled by communication, not mechanically like today. If we imagine how a rider handles a horse, that gives us many starting points for the requirements in the new human being-vehicle cooperation. In a way, the horse is also an “intelligent system” and it’s also controlled by means of communi cation. The rider uses the reins to provide input which the horse autonomously carries out. Theoretically, the car of the future would not need pedals, steering wheel or gear shift, maybe only a joystick, a touch pad and voice recognition. Imagine then how the vehicle interior would look... totally different. KomfortZone: Is there a comparable change in technology which could create ideas for new ways of thinking? Müller: Autonomous driving can certainly be equated with the invention of the automobile. The route taken by Berta Benz from Mannheim to Pforzheim wasn’t selected just by chance for the S 500 INTELLIGENT DRIVE. In retrospect, we can see that the speed at which a technology prevails depends on the acquired technology expertise. In those times, people simply thought that improved mobility meant having more horses. They built cars that looked like carriages, because they couldn’t imagine anything else. And it’s just as unclear today how the self-driving car will look. There will be smooth transitions from today’s design to a fully changed future model that our grandchildren will drive. So the car interior will change significantly in the next two decades.
KomfortZone: Vehicle buyers are getting older. Will autonomous driving keep us mobile longer, or will too much change? Müller: That’s hard to say. On the one hand, driving will become easier, but fast reactions and technical expertise will also be required. If the technology al ready existed, I’d say to those who are now 80: “No, that won’t work.” But for the generation of today’s pre-school children, I see some good opportunities in 80 years. This generation is growing up with tech nology much more naturally than our parents and grandparents did. KomfortZone: In 20 years, when you go on holiday with your family in the car, what will your car look like? Müller: The steering wheel could be lowered into the dashboard. The driver could then sit more com fortably and perhaps hold a tablet. The passenger and occupants could arrange and turn their seats flexibly during the journey, put their feet up and sit more comfortably. Perhaps the driver could also do that. Maybe there will be no more pedals for the brakes and certainly not for the clutch. Perhaps the whole dashboard will be a screen and all the devices will simply be displays. Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll be driving... that’s questionable! My son will be 25 then and he’ll certainly have his driver’s license... KomfortZone: Mr. Müller, thank you for the interview.
Dr. Christian Müller is a Research Fellow of the DFKI and heads the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Living Lab together with Prof. Dr. Michael Vielhaber (automotive.dfki.de).
In the field of innovative software technology based on artificial intelligence methods, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is the leading economy-oriented research center in Germany. The DFKI was founded in 1988 as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). It has offices in Kaiserslautern, Saarbr端cken and Bremen and a project office in Berlin.
Trend
Autonomic driving
“We may not fundamentally reinvent the vehicle interior in the next 20 years, but we will radically change essential aspects in the design of the interior.�
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Ergonomics on the road to autonomous driving
When it comes to autonomous driving, many questions remain unanswered, but one thing is certain: Autonomous driving affects the driver and consequently ergonomics in the vehicle. But how? A rudimentary requirement profile for the next 20 years can already be depicted, using the key issues of driver, steering and anchor points in the interior. Article by Dr. Andreas Seidl, CEO of the Human Solutions GmbH.
1. Is there a driver? In the next 20 years there will certainly be a driver who is responsible for the vehicle. But his tasks will change: He will be increasingly relieved of routine activities such as steering, accelerating and braking, and will take over the monitoring of the autonomous systems instead. The first step in dealing with this new world means more effort for the classic driver. He must of course still be able to drive, but at the same time he has to master the operation of the assistance systems. And in future, he will have more tasks to carry out. So it’s not only the question “What does the driver do when the car is driving?”
that arises, but also “How does the driver drive together with autonomous systems?” Once autono mous driving is possible for a longer period, another question arises: “How do I make the leap back to driving?” The objective here would be to digitally check whether or not and how fast the vehicle’s informa tion and warnings are absorbed and processed by the driver. Cognitive driver modeling, however, requires more comprehensive studies. Research is still in its infancy.
2. How will steering be done? The next question relates to Stage 2 of autonomous driving, namely longer breaks while the vehicle is traveling autonomously. Once the driver becomes a passenger, i.e. when steering wheel and pedal operation are no longer necessary, he will have more freedom of movement. This creates specific tasks for interior design: Where will his hands move to if they are not on the steering wheel? Do we need new fixtures where he can place his arms or elbows? If the body takes up a comfortable posture and more movement occurs, this must also be sup ported by the seat – and therefore the safety belt as
well. At this stage, ergonomics simulation is involved in the design of the vehicle for these new comfort postures, but also in the (physical) changeover phase from a comfort posture to a focused driving posture. Here the vehicle must not only communicate, it may also have to physically accompany the changeover, perhaps through a fast seat adjustment. The digital verification of these changed postures is now possible in RAMSIS, since the passenger also adopts compar able comfort postures.
3. How flexible is the interior design? Our flexibility here is still very limited, and it will be for at least 20 years. The complexity of the dashboard is likely to increase. We can also assume that the occupants will be seated during the journey. Then there is the need for safety: Seat belt and air bags must be installed and this defines the interior. The space for entertainment is also increasing for every seat. The starting point of today’s interior design is the view. The driver’s field of view must be as wide as possible. This is defined on the basis of the H-point, which means starting from the sitting posture. So when the driver changes his seated posture appreciably, his field of view changes and he can (probably) no longer see as clearly.
A conceptual change could open up new possibilities here: In aviation, the view is defined from a fixed eye point that must be adhered to from every posture. This allows pilots to adopt different and much more comfortable sitting postures. The alternative would be a complete redesign of the dashboard, or a driver’s display that could be seen from very different perspec tives – that could also produce exciting results. Both approaches would naturally work. And both concepts would support greater flexibility in future interior design during the later stages of autonomous driving. Here RAMSIS offers experiences with aviation’s eye point definition, plus a sophisticated view analysis.
The role of RAMSIS will certainly become more intensive in the development of innovative interior design concepts, as we will no longer be able to fall back on past empirical values. We can either expand this experience through many model generations or we can create a time advantage through simulation. The digital route promises significantly more competitive advantages.
Autonomic driving
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Agriculture runs alone
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A traditional industry became a pioneer to sustainably increase its yields... and autonomous driving has long been a “fait accompli� in agriculture. There is hardly anyone who has a better idea of what the future holds for technical possibilities than August Altherr, Director of the European Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC) at Deere & Company. KomfortZone talked to him about autonomouslyoperating tractors, intelligent field work and the weather.
KomfortZone: Mr. Altherr, high-tech in the tractor seems to be already standard. Has agriculture now become an innovation industry? Altherr: Within just a few decades, agriculture has undergone a technological paradigm shift in a very responsible and quite outstanding manner. For John Deere, innovation has two missions: an increase in field production and a reduction of the workload of the farmer and his employees. KomfortZone: Media photos show huge combine harvesters driving autonomously. Is this the future or the present? Altherr: From a technical perspective, it’s the present. In everyday life, it’s the future. Getting farmers to trust fully autonomous driving on the field is more of a limiting factor than the technology. Today we send out smaller self-driving machines mostly for weeding. KomfortZone: The automotive industry is aiming for more safety, environmental friendliness and time efficiency from autonomous driving. Does agriculture also see these as ultimate objectives? Altherr: Sustainability, efficiency and safety are always on our agenda. However, our overriding objectives are much more specific, and these are to reduce workloads through data management and to increase productivity through precision. Farmers today are highly-skilled entrepreneurs, they manage an opera tion with a modern machine park – and as a part of smart farming, autonomous driving is an increasingly important profitability factor. KomfortZone: So the future is only high-tech, even for agriculture? Altherr: We must first ascertain who drives or moni tors the machine. If it’s the farmer himself, he needs comprehensive records, data etc., and he can also handle complex IT. If it’s a less well-trained employee, he must still be able to start and operate the selfdriving forage harvester with hardly any tuition. That is our challenge as manufacturers: to satisfy both
user groups, thus ensuring that they can always work productively. And we’ve succeeded so far. KomfortZone: Will agricultural technology ulti mately show the automotive industry how to use autonomous driving in practice? Altherr: We come from different directions. Vehicle manufacturers started with speed and distance control and are only now gradually moving to the control system. It was vice-versa for us. Our machines steer reliably over a field from A to B and they turn so precisely that no area is missed. Speed control was the second step for us. Even that system is already mature. We also have a lot of experience with practi cal use. KomfortZone: What is agricultural technology doing better? Altherr: We have completely different conditions, so we can’t say we’re doing something better. The situation on a field is simpler. It can be measured and assessed by sensors much better than rapidlychanging city traffic. Our products always have a high economic impact as well, so they get to the market faster. KomfortZone: What direction will the develop ment of John Deere take? Altherr: Technically, we are already very advanced. The first two stages of autonomous driving on the field have already been implemented. And the third stage, where the vehicles move with virtually no driver or human intervention is technically very advanced. Safety with respect to detecting and identifying obs tacles is still an issue, but we’re not under any time pressure. Today we’re focusing much more on using the intelligence of the machines. Like working with out unnecessary overlaps in the reduction of pesticide consumption, or by making the spreading speed of slurry dependent on its nitrogen content. We’re also working on the self-learning machine: it learns work sequences and repeats them autonomously.
Autonomic driving Trend
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KomfortZone: In your opinion, what tasks will vehicle interior design have to tackle in agri cultural technology? Altherr: The field of view analysis and seating design will have a whole new quality level. The farmer won’t always face forwards, as is the case in cars. His seat will rotate by up to 180 degrees. The operator often looks back for long periods to monitor the machine’s line, or he looks to the right and left on the field. It would be exciting to show him that information in the direction he’s looking, perhaps with head-up displays. In any case, we must make sure that the view is unobstructed and information can be easily absorbed. So ergonomics plays a major role here. Exchanging ideas about situation awareness with the automotive industry would also be interesting. KomfortZone: What will the future bring for the driver’s cab and the dashboard? Altherr: A tractor with 15 different displays is a nightmare for me. John Deere will always offer a clear display that shows exactly what is important. Entertainment will also be provided for any em ployee who doesn’t need an office in the driver’s cabin – and that will help him to stay focused. In that respect, we’re also shoulder-to-shoulder with the automotive industry.
KomfortZone: What would the next technological breakthrough for agriculture be? Altherr: Optimizing local weather forecasts to make better use of the relevant time windows. We would also bring more rain if we could... but that wouldn’t impress my friends very much! KomfortZone: Mr. Altherr, thank you for the interview
August Altherr heads the European Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC) at Deere & Company. Deere & Company is one of the world’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturers and is one of the most globally-prestigious companies. The John Deere GmbH & Co. KG is Germany’s largest agricultural machinery manufacturer, employing around 7,000 people at six sites. At ETIC, engin eers, IT and marketing specialists work on “intelligent solutions” for precision agriculture (Intelligent Solutions Group) and on future technologies.
Status quo: Precision agriculture The farmer enters his field borders electronically on the MyJohnDeere site. These act like an elec tronic fence for each machine. Position finding can be as accurate as 2.5 cm. The cooperation of two machines can also be cycled. One machine, the forage harvester, is the master; the slave tractor with the trailer always keeps the same distance from the master and drives at the appro priate speed. But the machine doesn’t just drive,
it also works and thinks for itself. For example, it reacts independently to additional data: If slurry is to be spread, the machine measures the nitro gen content and drives faster or slower according to the results. In the case of plant protection products, the usual 10% track overlap is now unnecessary. That means a 10% reduction in both pesticides and costs, plus more sustainability. Sowing can also be monitored “seed-by-seed”.
Status quo: Reducing workloads thanks to intelligent machines and data management For the farmer, driving is only one basic function. If the machine drives itself, he can monitor the operation on the field much better. John Deere is performing research on more aids, like the learning machine that can carry out a work sequence itself after “seeing it done” only three or four times. The networking of machine and data is yet another topic: In future, the John Deere system will evalu ate weather information and make it available for work planning – this will increase efficiency
and productivity. Fertilizer is most effective when it rains shortly after it has been spreading – but the opposite is the case for plant protection products. Hay and straw in the fields must be dry when taken in, so no rain for a while is ideal. The intelligent systems in the vehicle also support the farmer with legally-imposed documentation, from the use of fertilizers to recording working time.
Innovation
RAMSIS research – Status report
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Human Solutions contributes to the further development of ergonomics simulation with intensive research. Around 10% of sales are invested in research every year and many research projects are carried out.
KomfortZone
VirtualAging: Simulation to address age-related changes in performance in the virtual design of processes and products (05/2015-10/2017) Content: The VirtualAging project examines factors that change with age (e.g. strength, sight or mobility), their interaction with the environment and their impact on the performance of activities. Existing knowledge is processed and new interrelationships are developed for integration into digital manikins. Partners/Funding: The project is carried out in cooperation with imk automotive, BMW and the Chair of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Management of the Technical University of Chemnitz. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
UDASim: Comprehensive discomfort assessment for car occupants through simulation (07/2013–06/2016) Content: Multidimensional, global discomfort is predicted with the help of an artificial neural network. The input variables are represented by individual factors which are calculated using manikin models (postures from RAMSIS, seat pressure distribution from CASIMIR and muscle activity from ANYBODY). The developed procedure is then validated experimentally on the basis of a discomfort scale. A common exchange format between the three manikins is also an additional result of the procedure. Partners/Funding: The project is carried out in cooperation with Wölfel Beratende Ingenieure, Anybody Technologies, Daimler, Ford, BMW and the Technical University of Munich. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
ARVIDA: Applied Reference Architecture for Virtual Services and Applications (09/2013–06/2016) Content: Human Solutions participation in ARVIDA involves a sub-project for the generic ergonomics simulation of dynamic procedures in virtual applications. Motion capture data is integrated into RAMSIS to provide improved simulation of human movement behavior in trucks, e.g. while exiting the vehicle. The relevant measurements are integrated into RAMSIS. Partners/Funding: This cooperative project is carried out by Daimler, A.R.T., the Institute for Mechatronics and other partners. Arvida is a BMBF joint project. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
EBDIG-WFSV: European Boat Design Innovation Group Wind Farm Support Vessel (10/2013–09/2015) Content: Transfer of advanced methods and technologies to the shipbuilding industry in order to promote innovation and competitiveness. RAMSIS is being used for ergonomics simulation on boats for the first time. The focus is on the accessibility of the instruments and the readability of information on monitors. Partners/Funding: The project is carried out in cooperation with Coventry University and other partners. It is part of the 7th Framework Program of the EU.
SafeWatch: Integration of view standards for the bus and truck industries Content: The early verification of compliance with legal standards is an important economic factor in product development. Now national and international view standards for Bus & Truck will also be directly integrated into RAMSIS, in accordance with standards for industrial vehicles and cars. Partners/Funding: The project partners are Evobus, MAN, Scania and Daimler. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics under the Central Innovations Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (ZIM).
Belt4all: Module for belt evaluation Content: Belt simulation in RAMSIS is to be expanded to meet the additional requirements of e.g. component manufacturers. The RAMSIS program also includes the simulation of belt routing over the diverter on the B pillar. This supplements the existing simulation, which is mainly used by OEMs and involves belt routing over the test figure. Funding: The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics under the Central Innovations Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (ZIM).
Innovation
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RAMSIS NextGen in NX
Efficiency plus
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RAMSIS has long been integrated into Catia. Now Siemens NX has followed suit, so the automobile manufacturers’ manikin is ready for work in two of the industry’s leading CAD systems. The first release was launched at the Daimler EDM CAE Forum 2015.
KomfortZone
RAMSIS in NX provides the essential analysis and animation functions of RAMSIS NextGen
RAMSIS NextGen brings fundamental innov ations for ergonomics simulation to vehicle design, and above all, a significant gain in efficiency in the production and use of manikins in the digital vehicle.
The storage of manikin and population profiles (with roles and appearances) and the parallel execution of studies for each occupant save an enormous amount of time. The integration into Siemens NX also opens up more efficiency options.
Cooperation with Daimler Bernd Brückner knows all about efficiency gains with RAMSIS in NX... because Daimler accompanied the development right from the outset. In his presentation at the Daimler EDM CAE Forum 2015, the ergonomics expert explained the importance of high-quality and simultaneously more efficient ergonomics: “Thanks to RAMSIS in NX, we have all the benefits of RAMSIS NextGen, and we can better integrate the ergonomics in our design environment at the same time” he said. He added: “We use RAMSIS
NextGen with Siemens NX. The integration of ergonomics into CAD makes us much more effi cient. For instance, we can check the reachability of pedals and the view in NX, and then perform the belt analysis in RAMSIS NextGen. The data that we access is always consistent and this makes it possible to reproduce and compare all the results.” Bernd Brückner is the head of the Ergonomics Concepts department in the Research and Advanced Engineering division at Daimler AG.
Ergonomic vehicle design in CAD All the essential function and analysis options that are relevant for basic vehicle design will be avail able with the first release in October 2015. The male and female RAMSIS models based on whole body scans are already supported. Additional modules for
simulating realistic belt routes, for instance, will also be integrated into the next stage of development. Changing systems during standardized studies like belt simulation will no longer be necessary.
RAMSIS NextGen: more human elements in the NX car RAMSIS NextGen provides a completely new soft ware concept for the automotive industry. After an intensive test phase, the new RAMSIS manikin soft ware generation has been available for more than six months now. The software’s four core modules – Framework, BodyBuilder, Ergonomics and Project –
facilitate updates and individual add-ons. This modu lar structure also emphasizes the software’s market advantages in manikin creation, project management and the performance of studies. The high-tech ergo nomics of the BodyBuilder and Ergonomics modules are also integrated into RAMSIS in NX.
Conclusion: Ergonomics for CAD fans RAMSIS in NX offers the best of two worlds: NextGen ergonomics and leading CAD. Clear advantages that speak for themselves. RAMSIS
in NX is ideal for Siemens NX users who don’t want to change their system, but do want full ergonomic functionality.
Basic functions of RAMSIS in NX •
View (internal and external field of view, mirror view)
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Reachability
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Posture forecasts
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Cognitive perception (inside and outside the vehicle)
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Maximum force forecast
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Inverse kinematics
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More innovations on the way
Innovation
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RAMSIS in NX
RAMSIS NextGen
Full functionality in both programs: Posture forecast in RAMSIS in NX and RAMSIS NextGen
Advantages •
Seamless data usage in all ergonomics projects
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Comparability of ergonomic studies
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Fast training in familiar CAD environment
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Easy switching from RAMSIS in NX to RAMSIS NextGen
The posture forecast and inverse kinematics are core competences of RAMSIS NextGen. Thanks to parallel simulation, studies for all the occupants can be performed simultaneously.
Innovation
View by the book Standards specify minimum values for the size of a driver’s field of view. This is ver ified before the market launch. If the physical model is unexpectedly rejected during certification, trouble is inevitable. Testing with RAMSIS from the outset eliminates this problem. Now there are two new standard modules for motor vehicles.
The simplest solution is digital Digital verification has many advantages. It allows the frequent repetition of a study or test during develop ment. This promotes innovative model design. The computer simulation also reduces the need for physical test benches, reducing time and costs and ensuring early that standards are met or even exceeded.
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“With the introduction of digital standard tests, most customers first adopt a two-pronged approach: They perform tests with RAMSIS and the physical test bench at the same time – and so far the RAMSIS results have all been the same... so they only use RAMSIS for the next model.” Dr. Hans-Joachim Wirsching, Products & Projects, Human Solutions GmbH
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Standards monitoring in the digital vehicle model RAMSIS standards modules include all of the criteria intended for a test setup and for compliance with standards. The position of the eye point in the vehicle, the required visual range and radii, or the permitted maximum shadows, for instance. The data is downloaded for the vehicle geometry, as is the specific seating reference point to ascertain the nominal position of the seat. Then the test can begin: RAMSIS immediately displays “invisible” areas and the exact level of standards compliance. It also fills out the relevant documenta tion automatically. The whole process is completed much faster than testing on a physical test bench.
More standards in RAMSIS Until now, the only beneficiaries of these RAMSIS time savings were manufacturers of industrial vehicles, who could repeatedly check their view standards on the very first CAD design. That is now changing. New in the RAMSIS range – and already available – is the general directive StVZO 35b for direct external view. And ECE R 46 – the European Directive for the Design of Mirrors in Motor Vehicles – will also be available relatively soon.
Available view standards in RAMSIS • StVZO 35b for RAMSIS NextGen: the standard for direct external view in the motor vehicle • I SO 5006 for RAMSIS in CATIA V5 and RAMSIS NextGen: Standard for all-round and long-distance view in construction vehicles • ISO 13564 for RAMSIS in CATIA V5: View standard for ground conveyor vehicles • ECE R46 for RAMSIS NextGen: European standard for mirror view in motor vehicles (planning stage)
Safety by the book Belt design is one of the great strengths of RAMSIS. One of the most popular mod ules of the leading manikin is eBTD, the digital certificate for standard-compliant belt design on the North American market. Now there are new dummies for belt design and – in the foreseeable future – dummies for the design of child safety seats.
New digital test dummies Until now, dummies have been available for the 5th percentile female and the 50th percentile male. The Q dummies for 6 and 10 year-olds are new in RAMSIS (they are also available in digital form). The Q dummies replace the former P dummies.
Dummies for child seats (planning stage) RAMSIS will also soon be ready for tests and belt design with child seats. RAMSIS NextGen will then have different child seat models and test dummies for the smallest passengers.
In practice
RAMSIS portfolio at a glance
RAMSIS Automotive
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Add-on Software Modules RAMSIS Cognitive RAMSIS Bus & Truck ●
RAMSIS Global Concepts
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RAMSIS Ergonomic Expert
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RAMSIS REFA, NASA, NIOSH
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RAMSIS Seat Belt Design Manikin
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RAMSIS SBD Professional (Manikin and eBTD)
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RAMSIS SBD Tool Box
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RAMSIS ATD Hybrid III
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RAMSIS ATD Child Q-Dummy
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RAMSIS Gabarit
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RAMSIS Automotive
RAMSIS Seat Design
RAMSIS ATD Child P-Dummy
RAMSIS Industrial Vehicles
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Basic Software Module
Basic Software Module
RAMSIS Aircraft
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RAMSIS Child Seat Library RAMSIS SAE Design Tools
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RAMSIS Bus & Truck Standards RAMSIS Direct Translator CATIA V5
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RAMSIS Im- and Export of Geometry in JT-Format
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RAMSIS in VR (integrated in DeltaGen)
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Add-on Software Modules RAMSIS Cognitive RAMSIS Bus & Truck RAMSIS ISO 13564-1 RAMSIS ISO 5006/14401
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RAMSIS Im- and Export of Geometry in JT-Format
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In practice
Ergonomics in the Middle Kingdom China is the largest car market in the world and it’s beginning to change from a sellers’ to a buyers’ market. Even established brands are having to prove their quality. Most Chinese OEMs are now using RAMSIS. Human Solutions is represented nationwide by a reliable service partner in China.
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Ergonomics simulation: Differences and similarities China’s automotive market differs from the European and American markets in some important respects: The Chinese new car buyer is 36 years old on average, considerably younger than in Germany, where the average age for new car buyers is 50. Vehicle interior design also has other challenges in China, because body proportions are completely different there, although Chinese body heights do correspond to the lower percentiles of the European markets. Eastern Asians’ legs are much shorter in relation to their upper bodies. This impacts on both seating comfort and safe operation, like reaching the brake and clutch pedals with no problem. New body dimension data in RAMSIS ensures an optimal and realistic pool of voluntary subjects. This is important, because cheap prices alone won’t sell cars: In China the car is a status symbol, as it is in Germany. Good ergonomics go hand-in-hand with quality, and that’s what car buyers want. An awareness of systematic product develop ment is also gradually asserting itself. With RAMSIS, ergonomic quality can be achieved faster and more cost effectively.
The key topics: View and discomfort Chinese OEMs have already taken the first steps successfully with RAMSIS. One key issue when starting with RAMSIS is the view analysis. In many companies today, a fundamental discomfort analysis is also an integral part of vehicle development. Simulation technology is asserting itself, mainly because it reduces development time and costs – and that is also a competitive advantage in the growing Chinese market.
New anthropometric database for the Chinese market New anthropometric data for the Chinese market should be available in RAMSIS by the end of 2015. The Adult Body Size Database of the China National Institute of Standardization is the current database for the body dimensions of adults in China. In 2009, the body dimensions of 3,109 voluntary subjects (1,517 men/1,592 women) between the ages of 17 and 70 were measured in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xi’an and other regions – in accordance with the provisions of GB/T 5703-2010, Basic Human Body Measurements for Technological Design. The data base in RAMSIS includes the original source data.
RAMSIS: Data and functions for China ● Complete RAMSIS portfolio in English ● Current anthropometric data for the Chinese population integrated into RAMSIS ● RAMSIS training conducted locally by experts ● Workshops and consulting for ergonomics simulation in product development, run by
German experts
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RAMSIS in use
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A selection of RAMSIS customers in China: ● Brilliance Auto ● Chery Automobile ● Dongfeng Motor ● FAW Group ● Geely Automobile ● Great Wall Motors Company ● SAIC Motor Corporation ● SAIC-GM-Wuling ● Shanghai Volkswagen ● Zhengzhou Yutong Bus
RAMSIS in use at the FAW Mini Vehicle Division “Before the application of RAMSIS, for many early checks we could only judge whether the design was reasonable and applicable by using measuring data or the human body model attached to the software. This involved a heavy workload and was inconvenient and inaccurate. With RAMSIS’s posture calculation function, we can easily use different human bodies to define relevant ergonomic sizes and find problems in design earlier with accurate judgment that can help engineers make appropriate measures in time, avoiding the occurrence of serious problems, such as the scrapping of mold, product recall etc. During the styling stage, we discovered many ergo nomic problems using RAMSIS. These problems were solved through the optimization of the style surface. One example: the gap between the parking brake and the center console was very tight, because the
RAMSIS in use at the FAW Car Division “In the car development process, vision design and analysis is a very important aspect, for it is closely related to safety and operation. If the field of vision is not designed properly, or controls are obscured by the style surface and remain undiscovered, it would cause consumer complaints and even cause safety concerns. For example, we had to ensure that drivers could see all information displayed on the cluster when they sit in the car with the positions of the seat and steering wheel properly adjusted. We used to design the cluster view with SAE J1050, but we found that the SAE view and the view seen by real drivers did not match. Currently, we use RAMSIS to simulate the driving postures of our customers and to determine the appropriate eye point. Cluster vision can be simulated intuitively and with the steering wheel adjusted simultaneously by the RAMSIS View function, it brings great design convenience and an accurate evaluation basis at early stage. With RAMSIS, we design view performance through out the whole development process. It reduces physical mockup validation, increases the accuracy and effectiveness of the design, shortens the devel opment period and reduces costs.
driver’s elbow would interfere with the console arm rest when he used the brake – that was unacceptable. We finally made a model for presentation through continually modifying and optimizing the modeling surface and arranged the relevant personnel to evalu ate. Most of the ergonomic problems found during the styling stage were solved well and the optimized results met the evaluation personnel’s requirements. However, during the evaluation, two engineers repor ted that the steering wheel was too close to the driver and we should decide if modification was necessary. The analysis made by RAMSIS’s discomfort assessment function and benchmarking data showed that the steering wheel’s location was rational. In the end we didn’t change the design and this was verified by the second evaluation. It proved that this accurate evaluation saved us a lot of money.“ Mrs. Yan HAN, Vehicle Design Section, Mini Vehicle Department, FAW R&D Center
Middle armrest variants differ a lot in cars, and the design criteria were difficult to create due to too many factors being involved, such as armrest styling, dimensions, the seat, interior space, etc. We used to position the middle armrest a little lower at the early stage to avoid contact with the driver’s arm, but this meant that the armrest could not support the arm. The armrest position had to be evaluated in a physical mockup and usually had to be redesigned. Now we define the armrest position with the aid of a RAMSIS simulation at an early stage. 12 manikins and many operations are addressed. There is no arm contact when turning the steering wheel and applying the parking brake, and no arm contact when operating buttons on instrument panel, so it is an ideal situation. RAMSIS helps us to position the armrest as accurately as possible for maximum comfort. Differences in interior layouts and middle armrest styling are no longer design issues for us.“ Mr. Zhouhui ZHANG, Passenger Car Design Section, Passenger Car Department, FAW R&D Center
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Partners for 10 years
Since 2005, Human Solutions has been optimally represented in China by a reliable partner: BEIJING JIANGDA TECHNOLOGY combines professional ser vice with in-depth technological expertise. “The cooperation with our colleagues from BEIJING JIANGDA is extremely effective and solutionoriented – so RAMSIS users have received optimal customer care in China for years. This is also reflected in the increasing user expertise of our customers and their continuous new project queries.” Susanne KIEL, International Partner Manager at Human Solutions The BEIJING JIANGDA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD was founded in Beijing in 1993. The company pro vides technical services covering product lifecycle management solutions for the manufacturing industry throughout China, including technical support, training, pilot engineering, consulting, software development and system integration. BEIJING JIANGDA is a partner of many international
companies such as Dassault Systèmes, DCS, IBM, IcemSurf, Human Solutions and Transcat. More than 300 of the company’s customers come from the automotive, aerospace and engineering industries. From its various sites in the country, BEIJING JIANGDA mainly takes over training, product roll outs, and first-level support for Human Solutions customers in China. “RAMSIS has a strong global presence in the market. Since foreign car companies came to the Chinese market, vehicle ergonomics has become an important competitive factor. Chinese OEMs will continue to place emphasis on their R&D activities in order to survive in the international market. We are very proud that more than 20 companies in China are currently using our soft ware RAMSIS in their design processes.” Qizhen ZHANG, General Manager of BEIJING JIANGDA TECHNOLOGY
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Living and working in a submarine Nowadays, submarine missions last for two to three months. The crewmen who work here in this confined space need to avail themselves of every possibility for stress relief – so the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH uses effective ergonomics concepts to ensure enough space and optimal operability on board. The on-board ergonomics are tested with RAMSIS right from the outset.
Š ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
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ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH builds technically successful submarines with powerful, non-nuclear engines... but the boats are also successful from the perspective of communications and crew comfort. The company used to check the submarines’ ergonomic parameters using plastic models with a scale of 1:5. Today RAMSIS complements the physical test stands and helps to set new standards in ergonomics for the submarines of Kiel.
More comfort for the crew Accessibility, operability and space requirements are the key success criteria of submarine ergonomics. Short lines of communication reduce stress for the crew. Navies worldwide also have higher expectations of comfort, since the boats are no longer mainly used for short periods, but operate on long-running, reconnaissance missions. A typical ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH submarine has a crew of roughly 30 men, but this number can be supplemented by Special Forces. Simulations and tests are performed in RAMSIS with manikins of the 5th and 95th percentiles, as well as seated, standing or periscope-operating posture models developed in-house. “Good ergonomics is a long-term investment. Our customers greatly appreciate professional ergonomic design.” Michael Börgert, Specialist for Ergonomics at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
All bulkheads and valves closed! Opening valves can mean hard work, but it needn’t. Ease of operability provides relief for the crew and that in turn reduces their stress levels. This is why the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH uses RAMSIS to ascertain whether the force required for the opening and closing of countless valves and bulkheads can be applied easily. In a normal position, this can still be estimated. But what about a valve 5 feet above head height that can only be reached by a ladder and operated with only one hand? The RAMSIS experts at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH know the answer to this.
Plenty of room in the most confined of spaces No submariner may suffer from claustrophobia, but there must be enough space to work efficiently. Then there are the special incidents: Will a stretcher, for example, pass through all the passageways and bulkheads? Even that can be ascertained at an early stage on the digital model, if the construction is not yet set in stone and if potential adjustments will result in fewer changes later. “Operability and comfort have also become important factors in military operations, because the crew mem bers can work more effectively and are more resilient. The ergonomics of innovative concepts also have to be checked. That’s why simulation with RAMSIS has become an important success factor for ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH.” Michael Börgert, Specialist for Ergonomics at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
Real test bench versus RAMSIS Saving on physical test bench setups pays off for this reason. But a digital test only produces added value if the simulation depicts the reality perfectly. One test project really convinced the submarine engineers at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH: During the new development of a rescue capsule, the ergonom ists simulated the maximum number of passengers at a specific capsule diameter – first as a digital simu lation, and then in a physical test setup. The RAMSIS results corresponded exactly to reality in the field test. That secured the decision for RAMSIS and against the manikin already integrated into the existing CAD system. “We opted for RAMSIS due to its high degree of reality. Other manikins don’t achieve the same quality in the simulation.” Michael Börgert, Specialist for Ergonomics at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
RAMSIS in VR However, the ergonomics experts at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH want even more: The RAMSIS crew will soon be able to move even more freely in the boat. For over three years now, the ergonomics team has been working on a research project that will depict RAMSIS in a VR productive system in the submarine, and the results are highly promising.
Conclusion: Quality wins
© ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
The construction of a single submarine takes a good five years – and quality is the decisive factor. The ergonomics of the ThyssenKrupp submarines are well received by the customers, because longer missions mean that more comfortable quarters and an optimal working environment are a must. With RAMSIS, the Thyssen Marine Systems GmbH knows it’s well prepared for the future.
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Research project: In VR, RAMSIS will move in real time on the submarine
Ergonomics mission: Diving in the scanner It’s not all about ergonomics for humans – professional divers need special equipment and that also requires more space. Divers must of course exit and enter the submarine in full gear. That might be exciting for the divers, but it’s challenging for the ergonomics experts – because on a submarine where every spare inch is a luxury, the question is, “How big should a hatch be to allow divers to exit and enter comfortably? That’s why the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH wants RAMSIS to become a “frogman”. Accurate data is needed for this and 3D is optimal – so Human Solutions calculates the required dimensions for the RAMSIS diver in an unusual measurement project: Two divers in full gear are measured in different postures by the high-precision Vitus Smart XXL 3D body scanner – this ensures that the resulting digital manikins are as realistic as possible.
© ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
The experts then get exact onscreen instructions for the ergonomic design of the exit and entry areas. Mission accomplished.
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Drive better... in America Finally! It’s almost here... totally up-to-date information on body dimensions, volumes, sizes and weights for North America! Size NorthAmerica will be launched in December 2015, a key event for the automotive industry, which has long awaited representative ergonomics data on men, women and (for the first time) children from the United States and Canada.
Size NorthAmerica is the first representative serial measurement survey of the entire North American market. A uniform measurement method uses the 3D body scanner and special software to acquire reliable and comparable data. It also allows the segmentation of this market by socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, ethnicity and income. The result is a comprehensive but differentiated picture of the market... and that’s new.
Reliable data is needed No survey has ever comprehensively mapped the entire North American market. Most individual
measurement initiatives are lagging far behind, but differences in study design and measurement methods make their data difficult to compare, so it cannot be combined. The data of current serial measurement surveys in other countries has also shown that people have changed, even in the last fifteen years; so the correct data of the North American population will not only have a real impact on individual customers’ comfort, usability and safety, it will also improve the overall market picture in distribution by percentiles, for instance. There is no current anthropometric data for children. Data surveyed between 1930 and 1970 is currently being used.
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First representative serial measurement survey
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Interactive data analysis on the iSize portal
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Leading technology for body scanning and analysis
Size NorthAmerica in the spotlight...
It’s a solid concept. Size NorthAmerica will supply the reliable data of various target groups to Auto motive and Fashion. The North American survey can also rely on earlier European projects such as SizeGERMANY and SizeITALY, with more than 12,000 and 6,000 voluntary subjects respectively, so it makes sense for the North American planners and organizers to base their approach on these surveys. a
Advisory Panel: from the industry for the industry
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Economically, this data will be of great benefit. After all, the industry itself is both contractor and co-organ izer of this measurement survey. During Advisory Panel sessions, the representatives of the participating companies bring their specific requirements to the table for the survey. The automotive industry is well represented. Size NorthAmerica will be carried out by Human Solutions in collaboration with the Canadian Institute Vestechpro.
The 3D bodyscanner: consistent measurement Each voluntary subject is repeatedly scanned and measured in different postures in private measuring cabins. Weight and body height are recorded separ ately. A scan takes only a few seconds. The result is a scanatar that can be transferred directly to the com puter and analyzed with the special software. Digital measurement provides reliable, high-quality results, because the measuring is always done in exactly the same way, and that can’t be done manually. Later measurements and additional detailed dimensions can also be obtained at any time.
iSize: long-term availability of anthropo metric data The results of the survey will be presented to partici pants and discussed. Further analyses answer the additional questions that usually arise. To enable the results of Size NorthAmerica to be integrated into product development and RAMSIS, the data is available on the body dimension portal iSize and in RAMSIS in the form of a new data table.
Measuring stations: Measuring as an event In the operational phase of the serial measurement survey, the local stations play a central role. They are set up at well-frequented locations or, upon request, at the participating companies’ sites. Voluntary sub jects can register by phone or on the Internet. The event will be publicized in each region in advance and that has a big advertising impact, because it publicizes the commitment to the comfort and safety of the Size NorthAmerica voluntary subjects at an early stage of the survey.
Interview: target group-specific background for ergonomics analysis Professionally-trained staff helps the voluntary subjects to fill out the socio-demographic questionnaire. The data is stored anonymously along with the scan. During the later analysis, users can then simply choose region, country of origin, age, gender or income when selecting their parameters.
The results: the right decisions in vehicle interior development Some things are already certain: During data analysis we can expect some real surprises now and then, because the recent series of European measurements have shown that the distribution of body dimensions and volumes on the individual percentiles is much wider, for instance. New knowledge is also injected into vehicle ergonomic design by including the pro portions that bring physical changes throughout the different age groups, and the special requirements that are created with increasing corpulence. All in all, Size NorthAmerica offers new ways to convince the market through comfort and safety in the vehicle; so if a company’s corporate objectives entail advanced vehicle development and the long-term safeguarding of product development decisions, Size NorthAmerica is the ideal solution.
Women Men
18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66–75
years years years years years years
Girls Boys
6–10 years 11–13 years 14–17 years
2 Genders 9 Age Groups 6 Regions US US US US
Northeast Midwest South West CAN East CAN West
It’s a solid concept: Segmentation by age and region, for example, is particularly important
The four different scanning positions for Size NorthAmerica
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West
Midwest
EAST
Northeast
West South
The procedure at a measurement event Welcome Information on the survey procedure Interview with socio-demographic questions 3D bodyscanning in private cabins A small gift upon leaving
The people behind Size NorthAmerica Together with their teams, Dr. Andreas Seidl, Michael van Genabith and Tim Günzel from Human Solutions have made Size NorthAmerica possible. It’s a major project and part of an even bigger idea.
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The vision Dr. Andreas Seidl, CEO “To be successful in future, we need market and customer-oriented products. This is only possible if we can optimally reproduce reality in the computer. With our software, the individual customer becomes part of the development. We ensure this worldwide with the 3D body data of the populations in the most important markets in Europe, America and (soon) Asia.” The market Michael van Genabith, President of Human Solutions of North America “American companies need information about their customers. And it’s here: Size NorthAmerica will enable the design of new cars for the US market; cars that will prevail because of their comfort and their passive safety. This applies to trucks, buses, cars and commercial vehicles.” The project Tim Günzel, Project Manager, Size NorthAmerica “Size NorthAmerica is an outstanding project. In a few months, we’ll have measured around 17,000 people from our pool of voluntary subjects – and that’s the population of a small town. We know we can do it, because we’ve already used our technology in other surveys.”
Size NorthAmerica at a glance Where and when? From December 2015 to August 2017 in six regions of the US and Canada
Who? More than 17,000 men, women and children between 6 and 75
How? Using a 3D body scanner and Anthroscan software, measuring in four standing and seated postures, in accordance with ISO 20685, DIN 33402 and ISO 7250 for the automotive industry (plus standards for the fashion industry). More than 100 measurements can be taken overall.
And‌ additional individual studies and detailed surveys are possible at any time.
Organizers Size NorthAmerica will be carried out by the Human Solutions GmbH and the Canadian Institute Vestechpro. Vestechpro is a research center focusing on technological innovation, support and training for the apparel industry. Human Solutions is a leading provider of expertise, information and technology in anthropometry and ergonomics for product development.
And finally
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Ready to Race KTM is well-known, as is its company slogan “Ready to Race”. The company develops high-performance motorbikes in Mattighofen, Austria. This dynamic element also applies to the development process – and the race experts use ergonomics simulation to win significant time gains. Ergonomics at KTM is verified on the prototype – mainly with long-distance tests. This feedback is very valuable, but the information is brought to the development process at a late stage and is based on the subjective perception of the test rider. A digital check at the beginning of the development process would save a lot of time, provide objective parameters for ergonomics and encourage innovative ideas, which could be checked for viability at an early stage, helping to realize their full potential. KTM as a manufacturer could then take a decisive step towards the ideal of combining ultraprofessional data analysis and subjective tests. Enter RAMSIS...
the ergonomics of the premium enduro segment bike, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure are optimal. The RAMSIS simulation was to identify more potential, in conjunction with the results of the long-distance tests. The Standard Tourer posture model was used, with manikins of the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles.
For KTM, one question counted above all: Do RAMSIS simulation results reflect reality in the field trials? Earlier this year, the leading motorcycle manufacturer in Europe carried out the analysis: and
So ergonomics can be used from the very first CAD model, even for motorcycles. Perhaps we’ll soon be seeing a RAMSIS posture model for hanging-off on curves.
No one was surprised when RAMSIS achieved the same results as the KTM experts on the test track: the limited space for foot movement when the rider adopts a sporting posture, the ergonomically successful design of the seating position, the reach ability of controls and the verification of the sight were all confirmed objectively by RAMSIS.
Impressum Acknowledgements: Many customers supported us with interviews, information and images: our thanks go out to them. Publisher: Human Solutions GmbH Europaallee 10 67657 Kaiserslautern, Germany Tel. +49 631 343 593 00 F. +49 631 343 593 10 www.human-solutions.com Responsible for editorial content: Alexandra Seidl, Human Solutions GmbH (alexandra.seidl@human-solutions.com) Compilation and Layout: Marketing Essentials (Angelika Methner, Claudia Collin, Andrea Landgraf) www.marketing-essentials.de Translation from the German: Ron Shankland
Š Human Solutions GmbH has the 2015 copyright for all articles and illustrations, unless stated otherwise. Any form of reproduction, inclusion in online services and the Internet and copying to data carriers like CD ROMs, DVD ROMs etc., may only be carried out with express prior permission in writing from Human Solutions GmbH.
www.human-solutions.com