Assessing customized product design using virtual human and imposed motion

This paper presents a new method of using digital human with imposed motion and motion dynamics to evaluate product design. We have demonstrated it with a case study. The various design concepts were physically mocked up as testing prototypes (scenarios). The users were required to mimic the use of the products and their interaction motions with the test prototypes were captured, recorded and analyzed. Then, the users were scanned with a 3D body scanner to help the creation of the corresponding virtual human models, which had the same (or very similar) body sizes to the real users. Finally, the virtual human models with corresponding motions were integrated in a computer aided ergonomics analysis system-UGSTM JACK^® to review and evaluate different product design concepts. In addition, motion dynamics information was used to help conceptual selections. The proposed method combines the advantages of both real task motion and digital human simulation. With this method, the task motion is real instead of synthetic one. In ergonomic assessment software such as JACK^®, there is no need for creating a CAD-based virtual product model to generate synthetic motions. This method can support ergonomic evaluations of product design especially haptic interface design at the conceptual stage without its CAD models.