InterAction of Bath, a consultancy specialising in ergonomics and human factors, is to 3D scan 1,400 military personnel as part of a major Ministry of Defence project.
The consultancy, which has carried out a number of smaller exercises for the MoD, will collect the size and shape of the male and female personnel, including from the Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment and Brigade of Gurkhas, using a state-of-the-art scanner.
The project comes as the changing shape of humans is increasingly influencing the design of workplaces, equipment and vehicles.
Recent anthropometric – the measurement of the human individual – data collected by companies such as InterAction of Bath has revealed that people living in developed, Western nations have changed shape markedly in the past few decades.
This means equipment designed as recently as 20 years ago may no longer be comfortable – or safe – for the people using it in their work. At the same time, understanding the ‘human factor’ in the use of increasingly complex equipment is becoming more significant.
Studies in the US show that the number of service personnel with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kgm-2 or over – classified as ‘fat’ and at risk of poor health – more than doubled between 1995 and 2005, while the increased average weight of US pilots forced a redesign of the F35/Lighting II ejection seat.
InterAction of Bath founder Dr Dave Usher said: “We are delighted to once again be working with the Ministry of Defence. We have vast experience of measuring and providing anthropometric data for a range of clients and sectors.
“In a large-scale project such as this, accuracy is critical in providing the most reliable and useful data. Our 3D scanner is state-of-the-art and the InterAction of Bath team has the knowledge and experience necessary to manage and deliver data that our clients can rely on.
“The field of human factors is gaining recognition and its value cannot be overstated in ensuring environments and equipment are well designed and future-proof.
“From designing railway depots to kitchens and even nuclear power station control rooms, human factors are being increasingly employed in the early stages of a project.
“It is crucially important that designers consider the way people interact with the equipment or environments they are designing. And this can only be done through the use of accurate ‘people data’ and by observing tasks as they are carried out.”
The Ministry of Defence project will start immediately and will take 18 months to complete.
InterAction of Bath has developed expertise in anthropometry, human-computer interface design and human reliability as a natural extension of the company’s ‘human factors’ consultancy services.
It says as systems become more complex, the ramifications of human error can become severe, and in most safety cases there is some element of human factors assessment, particularly in military equipment.
Pictured, from left: Irina Stanciugelu, Dave Usher and Steven Wilson of InterAction of Bath
