Background information

 

The starting-point of the research project “DINBelg 2005” was bridging the gap between designers and anthropometry. For example, designing consumer products should be based on the measure of men. Also the ergonomists should always keep the dimensions of the employees in mind when evaluating or designing work spaces.

A total of 433 students of the Flemish Design Schools have been questioned. The most common method to get an image of the human body dimensions are anthropometric tables at the beginning of the design process and testing with people in the final stage. There is an explicit need to gather all the data on a website and to update the dimensions for the Belgian population. The students considerd pictures of products with the suggested measures, guidelines and background as the most efficient and desired method.

Until now the design students used outdated tables with estimated body dimensions of foreign populations. On this site you can find up-to-date anthropometric values for the Belgians. The average body length of the Belgian adults (between 18 and 65 years) is 1706 mm. Herefore more than 150 000 active people have been measured. Through the combination of these data with the DINED 2003 table, the other dimensions could be proportionally calculated. For the anthropometric table in the Netherlands a representative group was measured with a 3D total body scan (www.nedscan.nl). The dimensions of the elderly between 65 and 80 years are based on that study.
 

For children and adolescents the Flemish growth charts are being used to fit the dimensions of Pheasant (2001). The guidelines about wheelchair users and for interior architects are common used measures, which can be applied with a certain tolerance.
 

Participating schools:

- Hogeschool Antwerpen, Master in Product Development

- Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg, Master in Product Design

- Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen, Bachelor in Interior Design

- Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen, Bachelor Industrial Product Design and Master Industrial Engineering

 

Most used anthropometric models:

- Calculating with tables 73%

- Estimating 54%

- Testing with people 52%

- Measuring a similar product 46%

- Book with pictures and measures 36%

- Internet 23%

- 3D computer models 22%

- 2D drawing models 18%

 

Most used books:

- Dirken, H. 2001 Productergonomie: ontwerpen voor gebruikers. Delft: Delftse Universitaire Pers, 496 p.

- Haak, A.J.H, Leever-van der Burgh, D. 1994 De menselijke maat: een studie over de relatie tussen gebruiksmaten en menselijke afmetingen, bewegingen en handelingen. Delft: Delftse Universitaire Pers, 87 p.

- Molenbroek, J.F.M. 1994 Op maat gemaakt: menselijke maten voor het ontwerpen en beoordelen van gebruiksgoederen. Delft: Delftse Universitaire Pers, 389 p.

- Panero, J., Zelnik, M. 1979 Human dimension and interior space: a source book of design reference standards. London: Architectural press, 320 p.

- Pheasant, S. 2001 Bodyspace: anthropometry, ergonomics and the design of work. London: Taylor & Francis, 244 p.