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Anthropometry: Figure 01. Image of Vitruvian Man

Anthropometry is a technique developed in the 19th century to accurately measure the human body using various tools like stadiometers and anthropometers. It provides data to study human diversity and evolution and has applications in fields like criminology, forensics, and product design. Ergonomics is the study of designing workspaces for human use based on anthropometric data to promote efficiency while reducing discomfort through principles like neutral postures and minimizing excessive force or motions. Both anthropometry and ergonomics analyze variables like posture, repetition, and external factors.

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82 views3 pages

Anthropometry: Figure 01. Image of Vitruvian Man

Anthropometry is a technique developed in the 19th century to accurately measure the human body using various tools like stadiometers and anthropometers. It provides data to study human diversity and evolution and has applications in fields like criminology, forensics, and product design. Ergonomics is the study of designing workspaces for human use based on anthropometric data to promote efficiency while reducing discomfort through principles like neutral postures and minimizing excessive force or motions. Both anthropometry and ergonomics analyze variables like posture, repetition, and external factors.

Uploaded by

Alexandra Herrera
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ANTHROPOMETRY

Anthropometry is a technique for accurately measuring the human body. It provides a


comparative analysis of the human body's measures and capabilities. It comes from the Greek
words "Anthropos" (which means "human") and "metron" (meaning measure).
Physical anthropologists created anthropometry in the 19th century as a method for
studying human diversity and evolution in both current and extinct groups. Around 1490, Leonardo
da Vinci drew the image of the Vitruvian Man in a work titled Canon of Proportions or The
Proportions of Man where he attempted to bring natural and mathematical harmony into the human
form.

Figure 01. Image of Vitruvian Man

Tools for Anthropometry


A variety of specialised tools (as depicted below) are used to obtain anthropometric measurements:
• Stadiometers: height
• Anthropometers: length and circumference of body segments
• Bicondylarcallipers: bone diameter
• Skinfold callipers: skin thickness and subcutaneous fat
• Scales: weight
Applications of Anthropometry
There has been a wide range of applications of anthropometry during history, including:
• Palaeoanthropology and human evolution
• Biological Anthropology
• Craniometry and craniofacial attributes
• Phylogeography
• Criminology and Forensics
• Phrenology
• Physiognomy
• Personality and mental typology
Anthropometry has a significant impact on a wide range of businesses, processes, services,
and products, and is crucial in optimizing building design. The necessity of anthropometry comes
into play when designing user-friendly facilities.
Human dimensions and capabilities are the key factors in determining a building’s
proportions and overall design. The underlying principle of anthropometrics is that building
designs should be suitable to the human body, rather than people having to suit the buildings.
Uses of Anthropometry
Anthropometric data is utilized in the study of human body measurement to classify and
compare people. It covers physical measurements like height, weight, and hand size, as well as
functional data like how far people can reach in various directions.

Figure 02. Alphonso Bertillon measurement

Bertillon took measurements of criminals in custody's height, breadth, foot size, head
length and width, middle finger length, and left forearm length, as well as other physiological and
differentiating traits (as shown above). He then divided each file into small, medium, and large
categories, and added frontal and profile photography to each. In the form of a "mug shot," such a
photography method is still utilized today. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the use of this
anthropometric technique was known as "Bertillonage," and it quickly expanded over the world.
Principles of Anthropometry
Anthropometrics is the science of obtaining measures of a population's dimensions based
on the population's size, strength capabilities, and differences. Design for a range, design for the
extreme, and design for the average are the three ergonomic design principles based on
anthropometry.
Variables of Anthropometry
Anthropometric measurements are a series of quantitative measurements of the muscle,
bone, and adipose tissue used to assess the composition of the body. The core elements of
anthropometry are height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body circumferences (waist, hip, and
limbs), and skinfold thickness.

ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics is the study of how to design for humans. Ergonomics is defined as the study
of designing a workspace to meet the demands of the user. Its goal is to promote efficiency and
productivity while reducing discomfort.
Consider the height of your desk or the angle of your computer monitor. Consider whether
your eyes are tired at the end of the day or whether typing hurts your wrists. Most industrial
accidents can be avoided with a good grasp of ergonomics, which involves adapting items to the
user and emphasizing optimal posture to decrease the impact of repetitive actions.
Principle of Ergonomics
• Work in a neutral position
• Decrease the need for excessive force
• Keep materials within easy reach
• Work at the proper height
• Reduce unnecessary motions
• Minimize fatigue caused by static load
• Minimize contact stress
• Leave adequate clearance.
▪ Move and Stretch throughout the day
Figure 03. Ergonomics
▪ Keep your environment comfortable.

Uses of Ergonomics

• Improves Health.
• Improved Mental Insight.
• Higher Productivity Levels.
• Decreased Pains.
• Higher Quality Work.
• Eliminates Hazards.
• Increased Employee Engagement.
• Encourages Safety.

Variables of Ergonomics
The exposure variables that define the exposure can be divided into five main categories:
posture, motion/repetition, material handling, work organization, and external factors. There is no
consensus on how different exposure variables should be pooled and interpreted as single estimates
of cumulative exposure.

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