HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS

Any time you have engineered a product, process or system to work more efficiently and safely with humans, you have practiced human factors (sentence by HFESociety).

A "human factors" (and Ergonomics) approach focuses on how to reduce human error, increase productivity, and enhance safety and comfort with a specific lens on the interaction between a human and the thing of interest.

Given the complexity and number of elements involved (subjects, processes, products, interaction and use contexts, performances..), the need arises to involve several disciplines: Psychology, Sociology, Engineering, Biomechanics, Industrial Design, Physiology, Ergonomics, Anthropometry, Interaction Design, Visual Design (VD), User Experience (UX), and User Interface Design.

Many scientists and researchers belonging to the ADM work in these subject areas, exploiting the previously mentioned disciplines as instruments of investigation, and developing basic research, applied research, applications and tools; the main goal is to assess design methodologies to generally improve the interaction between humans and artifacts, considering the principles of HCD and Design for all: usability, inclusion, accessibility.

Anthropometrics and subjective characteristics are taken into account while developing and designing new products, processes, and systems, in order to make daily life and working environments as comfortable, healthy and safe as possible, fulfilling expectations and respecting human limits.

VD applications, software tools, CAD/CAE systems, XR Extended Reality, biometric, and neurophysiologic instruments, among others, have been used, set, and customized for performing Virtual and Human in the Loop Simulations, applying Design of Experiments (DoE) principles, creating experimental environments (in the lab and on the field), and elaborating data (using Probabilistic, Statistical, Doxastic analyses).

The main goal is the synthesis of solutions in terms of Design methods and guidelines to drive future engineers and designers to better design tools, machines, systems, job's tasks, HMIs, and environments for safe, comfortable, pleasurable, and effective human use.

Keywords:
HCD (Human-centered design); UX (User Experience); CDD (Comfort Driven Design); DHM (Digital Human Modelling); HMI (Human Machine Interface).