Automatic Sitting Pose Generation for Ergonomic Ratings of Chairs.

Human poses play a critical role in human-centric product design. Despite considerable researches on pose synthesis and pose-driven product design, most of them adopt the simple stick figure model that captures only skeletons rather than real body geometries and do not link human poses to the environment (e.g., chairs for sitting). This paper focuses on user-tailored ergonomic design and rating of chairs using scanned human geometries. Fully utilizing the anthropometric information of the human models, our method considers more ergonomic guidelines of chair design (such as pressure distribution and support intensity) and links the geometry of 3D chair models and human-to-chair interactions into the pose deformation constraints of the human avatars. The core of our method is a pose generation algorithm which rigs the user's successive poses through coarse- and fine-level pose deformations. We define a non-linear energy function with contact, collision, and joint limit terms, and solve it using a hill-climbing algorithm. The fitting results allow us to quantitatively evaluate the chair model in terms of various ergonomic criteria. Our method is flexible and effective and can be applied to users with varying body shapes and a wide range of chairs. Moreover, the proposed technique can be easily extended to other furniture, such as desk, bed, and cabinet. Extensive evaluations and a user study demonstrate the efficiency and advantages of the proposed virtual fitting method. Given that our method avoids tedious on-site trying, facilitates the exploration/evaluation of various chair products, and provides valuable feedback for the designers and manufacturers to deliver customized products, it is ideal for online shopping of chairs.

The influence of chair seat height on the performance of community-dwelling older adults' 30-second chair stand test.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although chair seat height affects the performance of sit-to-stand movement, no previous study has examined the influence of chair seat height on the 30-second chair stand test (CST). METHODS: Fifty-five community-dwelling older adults (age 70.0 ± 6.3 years) performed the test from the standard height of 43 cm and then from five randomly ordered seat heights from 80 to 120 % of each participant's lower leg length. RESULTS: Chair seat height significantly influences the performance of community-dwelling older adults' 30-s CST (F = 57.50, p < 0.001). The mean score for standard conditions was significantly lower from those at 120, 110, and 100 % conditions (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the standard and 80 % conditions (p > 0.95) and between the standard and 90 % conditions (p = 0.353). When comparing the scores between the randomly ordered chair seat heights, all comparisons were significantly different (p < 0.001) except for the difference between the 120 and 110 % conditions (p = 0.104). CONCLUSION: Chair seat height's relation to the lower leg length should be considered when interpreting 30-s CST scores. Additionally, it is necessary to optimize the chair seat height when using the 30-s CST as an outcome measure for exercise intervention or to screen for people with weaker lower extremities.

A pilot investigation into the effects of different office chairs on spinal angles.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of four office chairs on the postural angles of the lumbopelvic and cervical regions. RESEARCH QUESTION: Which chair(s) produce an "ideal" spinal posture? METHODS: An experimental same subject design was used involving healthy subjects (n = 14) who conducted a typing task whilst sitting on four different office chairs; two "dynamic" chairs (Vari-Kneeler and Swopper), and two static chairs (Saddle and Standard Office with back removed). Data collection was via digital photogrammetry, measuring pelvic and lumbar angles, neck angle and head tilt which were then analysed within MatLab. A repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparisons was conducted. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were identified for posterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis between the Vari-Kneeler and Swopper chairs (p = 0.006, p = 0.001) and the Vari-Kneeler and Standard Office chairs (p = 0.000, 0.000); and also for neck angle and head tilt between the Vari-Kneeler and Swopper chairs (p = 0.000, p = 0.000), the Vari-Kneeler and Saddle chairs (p = 0.002, p = 0.001), the Standard Office and Swopper chairs (p = 0.000, p = 0.000), and the Standard Office and Saddle chairs (p = 0.005, p = 0.001). This study confirms a within region association between posterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis, and between neck angle and head tilt. It was noted that an ideal lumbopelvic position does not always result in a corresponding ideal cervical position resulting in a spinal alignment mismatch. CONCLUSION: In this study, the most appropriate posture for the lumbopelvic region was produced by the Saddle chair and for the cervical region by both the Saddle and Swopper chairs. No chair consistently produced an ideal posture across all regions, although the Saddle chair created the best posture of those chairs studied. Chair selection should be based on individual need.

A randomized controlled trial of chair interventions on back and hip pain among sewing machine operators: the los angeles garment study.

OBJECTIVE: Determine whether an adjustable chair with a curved or a flat seat pan improved monthly back and hip pain scores in sewing machine operators. METHODS: This 4-month intervention study randomized 293 sewing machine operators with back and hip pain. The participants in the control group received a placebo intervention, and participants in the intervention groups received the placebo intervention and one of the two intervention chairs. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, mean pain improvement for the flat chair intervention was 0.43 points (95% CI = 0.34, 0.51) per month, and mean pain improvement for the curved chair intervention was 0.25 points (95% CI = 0.16, 0.34) per month. CONCLUSIONS: A height-adjustable task chair with a swivel function can reduce back and hip pain in sewing machine operators. The findings may be relevant to workers who perform visual- and hand-intensive manufacturing jobs.

College students' perceptions of sexual orientation and gender given job descriptions and titles for interior decoration, interior design, and architecture.

To examine perceptions of design professionals, this study was designed to examine possible gender-bias based on job title and description and whether there is a relationship between the two perceptions. A respondent's sex was significantly related to perceptions of a design professional's sex. Both respondents' sex and the perceived sex of the design professional had significant effects on the perceived sexual orientation of the design professionals. Furthermore, the results also indicated that if the design professional was perceived to be male, there was a higher tendency that he would be perceived as homosexual, especially by a male respondent.

Expert assessment of physical ergonomics at video-display unit workstations: repeatability, validity and responsiveness to changes.

AIMS: Inter-observer repeatability, validity and responsiveness to change were determined for an expert assessment method for video-display unit (VDU) workstation ergonomics. The aim was to determine to what extent the expert assessment of ergonomics is related to the technical measurements, tidiness and space, work chair ergonomics and responds to changes in these characteristics. METHODS: Technical measurements and video-recordings before and 2 months after an ergonomic intervention were made for 109 VDU office workstations. Two experts in ergonomics analysed and rated the ergonomics of the workstations. A researcher analysed tidiness and available space. A physiotherapist classified the work chairs used according to their ergonomic properties. RESULTS: The intra-class correlation coefficient between the workstation ergonomic ratings of the two experts was 0.74 at the baseline and 0.81 at the follow-up. Workstation tidiness and space, and work chair ergonomics, had a strong effect on the assessments of both experts. For both experts a change in the locations of the mouse, the screen and the keyboard and values of tidiness and space and work chair ergonomics during the intervention showed a significant association with the ratings. CONCLUSION: The assessment method studied can be utilized by an expert in a repeatable manner both in cross-sectional and in longitudinal settings.

[Formaldehyde emissions from wooden products and office furniture]. / Emisja formaldehydu z meblarskich tworzyw drzewnych i z mebli biurowych.

The formaldehyde emission from wood-products (particleboards, particleboards veneered with artificial veneer, laminated particleboard, hard fibreboards, plywood) and office furniture was measured with the use of environmental chamber (0.2 m3, 0.6 m3, 1.0 m3 capacity) in the following conditions: temperature 23 degrees C, relative humidity 45%, 1 air exchange/hour and factor loading 1 m2/m3. Formaldehyde was determined by using colorimetric methods. Among the tested products, hard fibreboards, plywood and almost all of the enriched particleboards should not contaminate indoor air with formaldehyde over its threshold limit values. The tested office furniture fulfill of the hygienic requirements.

Designing the esthetic dental environment.

The esthetic dental environment requires a re-thinking of outdated concepts of office design. The design of the dental office must reflect the dentist's commitment to excellence. Each detail of the office design must be both functional and esthetic to mirror the type of work the esthetic patient expects and demands.

Architectural features and perceptions of community residences for people with mental retardation.

Architects, group home administrators, people with mental retardation, family members of people with mental retardation, and college undergraduates substantially agreed regarding the rated homelikeness of slides of interiors of 20 community residences for people with mental retardation ranging from institutional to homey, mean r = .87. Clusters of physical features identified using an architectural inventory were found to be associated with homelikeness ratings. Adjectives applied to rooms with these features were determined using a Q-sort method. Two factors were identified from Q-sort correlations: Homelikeness-Institutionality and Spatial Organization as well as a third variable, privacy.

Especificaciones técnicas para proyectos de salud / Technical specifications for projects of health

El documento señala todo el material mobiliario hospitalario,instrumental médico especifíca la definición su descripción y dimensiones: como el botiquín,almohada de esponja,caballete metálico,cajas,cama metalica,estante metálico,mesas,sillas,camilla,espéculo,pinzas,estetoscopio,juego de curetas,tijera quirúrgica,mesa quirúrgica etc.