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Maximum forces exerted by men in the zone of movement of the arms and legs
files and statistically analysed. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) A number of functional impairments has been in evidence involving manual skills (more often on the left side) as well as dorso-lumbar mobility (particularly in ageing women). (2) There has been confirmation of the correlation among some anthropometric measures and in particular: (a) variation of weight, height and muscular force as a function of sex and age (in women a sharp drop of the muscular force can be observed around the age of 50); (b) increase of the muscular force as a function of weight and height (especially the latter); (c) correlation among various muscular performances. (3) Some of the characteristics of the population under examination have been singled out. Most notable among them is the large scatter of the data. (4) Suggestions are put forward concerning the design of working spaces for individuals of the sample population. The height distributions observed (for men: range 1 5 6 - 1 8 4 cm, average 170 cm; for women: range 1 4 5 - 1 7 3 cm, average 159 cm) are not significantly different from those generally adopted in ergonomic practice.Therefore it does appear indispensable to take into account the dimensions of the different body segments as long as allowance is made for enough design flexibility. (5) The necessity is pointed out for more accurate and complete ways of assessing muscular performances in view of the establishment of norms regulating the maximum permissible work efforts.
symmetry of the body. The results are summarized in a biometric atlas. The accuracy of force measurements is discussed. In order to present the individual scatter in the position of the isodynes, the results were compared with earlier random investigations on a group of 60 students. Conclusions are drawn from the results and their practical and theoretical significance discussed.
together around the notion of operatorconsole distance which fluctuate with the duration of the work, and those which measure the variability of this distance and depend on the operator's attention. The pros and cons of such a way of collecting and processing data are commented upon.
Visual displays
7.4.23 (69775)
7.4.25 (69803)
Eastman, M.C. and Kamon, E. Posture and subjective evaluation at flat and slanted desks. Human Factors, Feb 1976, 18.1, 1 5 - 2 6 . Back posture was photographed and back, neck, and upper arm electromygrams (EMGs) were recorded for six subjects during reading and writing at flat and slanted (12 ° , 24 ° ) desk surfaces. In addition, the subjects rated fatigue and back discomfort. Sitting with a backpack, while leaning 45 ° forward, was used as a preliminary procedure to standardize the back discomfort ratings. Results indicated more erect posture and less back movement (reduced EMG) at the slanted surfaces, while slanting the desks also reduced fatigue and discomfort. The pattern in which the slanted surfaces were significantly better than the flat surface varied with each measurement technique.
Poston, A.M. An aircraft instrument marking concept to improve legibility under low illumination. Final Report. Dec 1975, 17 pp; abstr in Government Reports
Announcements (Report No AD-A 019 272/4GA). This report examines the scale range and resolution of current instrumentation to determine if some of the graduations could be eliminated and thereby reduce the amount of reflective area on the instrument panel. The recommendations by which graduation can be eliminated are presented in figures which show before and after configurations.
7..4.26 (69806)
Connors, M.M. Conspicuity of target lights: The influence of colour. Nov 1975, 15 pp; abstr in Scientific and Technical
Aerospace Reports (Report No NASA-TN-D-7960; A-5791 ).
7.4.24 (69776)
Fourcade, J. et al. Contribution to the study of the visual attention-posture system. Variations of 7.4.21 (69767) the ( h u m a n ) operator's posture in Tichauer, E.R. proportion to the flow of information Biomechanics sustains occupational safety and health. Industrial Engineering, and with the duration of the work in a Feb 1976, 8.2, 4 6 - 5 6 . control task (Attention VisuellePosture. Contribution a l'Etude du Industrial engineers can promote Systeme. Variations de la Posture de more effective and safer human l'operateur Humain en Fonction du performance through an understanding Flux d'Informations et de la Duree du of functional anatomy and physiological Travail dans une Tache de Controle). work tolerance. The use of biomechanical (In French.) Travail Humain, Jan 1975, profiles and the 15 'prerequisites of work 38.1, 119-132. tolerance' presented here expand the A study of the variations of Gilbreths' work and the principles of posture of a human operator working motion economy. in a control room has been made out of the processing on a viewer of a cinematographic film at the rate of 7.4.22 (69772) one picture every 6 s during 6 h. The Rohmert, W. experimenter was controlling two Maximum forces exerted by men in sources of variation: the flow of the zone of movement of the arms and messages presented on the console and legs. TRC Report No T75-7361, Sep the length of the work. Among 1975, 37 pp; abstr in R and D Abstracts. measured indices, the head-screen Force measurements were carried distance, ie, the reading-distance, has a out on five students in the six leading influence in the determination coordinate directions and for both of the posture. The authors arrived at rotational directions, as well as in the a model of the variation of posture zone of movement of the legs as during this work. Two kinds of indices maximum foot forces in the plane of must be considered: those which come
The conspicuity (or attentiongetting qualities) were investigated of foveally-equated, coloured lights, when seen against a star background. Subjects who were periodically engaged in a distracting cockpit task were required to search a large visual field and report" the appearance of a target light as quickly as possible. Targets were red, yellow, white, green, and blue, and appeared either as steady or as flashing lights. Results indicate that red targets were missed more frequently and responded to more slowly than lights of other hues. Yellow targets were acquired more slowly than white, green, or blue targets; responses to white targets were significantly slower than responses to green or blue targets. In general, flashing lights were superior to steady lights, but this was not found for all hues. For red, the 2 Hz flash was superior to all other flash rates and to the steady light, none of which differed significantly from each other. Over all hues, conspicuity was found to peak at 2 - 3 Hz. Response times suggest a complex relationship between hue and position in the visual field that is explained only partially by retinal sensitivity.
Applied Ergonomics December 1976
227
symmetry of the body. The results are summarized in a biometric atlas. The accuracy of force measurements is discussed. In order to present the individual scatter in the position of the isodynes, the results were compared with earlier random investigations on a group of 60 students. Conclusions are drawn from the results and their practical and theoretical significance discussed.
together around the notion of operatorconsole distance which fluctuate with the duration of the work, and those which measure the variability of this distance and depend on the operator's attention. The pros and cons of such a way of collecting and processing data are commented upon.
Visual displays
7.4.23 (69775)
7.4.25 (69803)
Eastman, M.C. and Kamon, E. Posture and subjective evaluation at flat and slanted desks. Human Factors, Feb 1976, 18.1, 1 5 - 2 6 . Back posture was photographed and back, neck, and upper arm electromygrams (EMGs) were recorded for six subjects during reading and writing at flat and slanted (12 ° , 24 ° ) desk surfaces. In addition, the subjects rated fatigue and back discomfort. Sitting with a backpack, while leaning 45 ° forward, was used as a preliminary procedure to standardize the back discomfort ratings. Results indicated more erect posture and less back movement (reduced EMG) at the slanted surfaces, while slanting the desks also reduced fatigue and discomfort. The pattern in which the slanted surfaces were significantly better than the flat surface varied with each measurement technique.
Poston, A.M. An aircraft instrument marking concept to improve legibility under low illumination. Final Report. Dec 1975, 17 pp; abstr in Government Reports
Announcements (Report No AD-A 019 272/4GA). This report examines the scale range and resolution of current instrumentation to determine if some of the graduations could be eliminated and thereby reduce the amount of reflective area on the instrument panel. The recommendations by which graduation can be eliminated are presented in figures which show before and after configurations.
7..4.26 (69806)
Connors, M.M. Conspicuity of target lights: The influence of colour. Nov 1975, 15 pp; abstr in Scientific and Technical
Aerospace Reports (Report No NASA-TN-D-7960; A-5791 ).
7.4.24 (69776)
Fourcade, J. et al. Contribution to the study of the visual attention-posture system. Variations of 7.4.21 (69767) the ( h u m a n ) operator's posture in Tichauer, E.R. proportion to the flow of information Biomechanics sustains occupational safety and health. Industrial Engineering, and with the duration of the work in a Feb 1976, 8.2, 4 6 - 5 6 . control task (Attention VisuellePosture. Contribution a l'Etude du Industrial engineers can promote Systeme. Variations de la Posture de more effective and safer human l'operateur Humain en Fonction du performance through an understanding Flux d'Informations et de la Duree du of functional anatomy and physiological Travail dans une Tache de Controle). work tolerance. The use of biomechanical (In French.) Travail Humain, Jan 1975, profiles and the 15 'prerequisites of work 38.1, 119-132. tolerance' presented here expand the A study of the variations of Gilbreths' work and the principles of posture of a human operator working motion economy. in a control room has been made out of the processing on a viewer of a cinematographic film at the rate of 7.4.22 (69772) one picture every 6 s during 6 h. The Rohmert, W. experimenter was controlling two Maximum forces exerted by men in sources of variation: the flow of the zone of movement of the arms and messages presented on the console and legs. TRC Report No T75-7361, Sep the length of the work. Among 1975, 37 pp; abstr in R and D Abstracts. measured indices, the head-screen Force measurements were carried distance, ie, the reading-distance, has a out on five students in the six leading influence in the determination coordinate directions and for both of the posture. The authors arrived at rotational directions, as well as in the a model of the variation of posture zone of movement of the legs as during this work. Two kinds of indices maximum foot forces in the plane of must be considered: those which come
The conspicuity (or attentiongetting qualities) were investigated of foveally-equated, coloured lights, when seen against a star background. Subjects who were periodically engaged in a distracting cockpit task were required to search a large visual field and report" the appearance of a target light as quickly as possible. Targets were red, yellow, white, green, and blue, and appeared either as steady or as flashing lights. Results indicate that red targets were missed more frequently and responded to more slowly than lights of other hues. Yellow targets were acquired more slowly than white, green, or blue targets; responses to white targets were significantly slower than responses to green or blue targets. In general, flashing lights were superior to steady lights, but this was not found for all hues. For red, the 2 Hz flash was superior to all other flash rates and to the steady light, none of which differed significantly from each other. Over all hues, conspicuity was found to peak at 2 - 3 Hz. Response times suggest a complex relationship between hue and position in the visual field that is explained only partially by retinal sensitivity.
Applied Ergonomics December 1976
227