Anthropometry

DR.FARAH ZAHID
 After reading this chapter, the reader should
be able to do the following:
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
science of anthropometry.
Describe factors that influence human size and
shape.
Use static anthropometric tables to help guide
design parameters.
Understand the key concepts of reach, clearance,
and posture.
Identify the effect that the environment plays on the
performance components of precision and strength.
 Anthropometry
Measurement of human dimensions

Anthropos = Human

Metrikos = Measuring
 Definition of Anthropometry
Anthropometry is a science that deals with
the measurement of size, weight, and
proportions of the human body. It is empirical
in nature and has developed quantitative
methods to measure various physical
dimensions. (Chaffin, 1984)
 People Are Different

Age Differences Height Differences

Anthropometry, the science of measurement of
the human body, provides therapists with
building blocks for understanding the complexities
of the human form and how it interfaces with its
environment
When creating a workspace, designers make many
complex choices.
 In addition to the functional use of the space, the
parameters of the human form and how it will
act within the space must be understood and
integrated into the overall design.
Designers, therefore, must create a space that is
suitable for all potential users, regardless of
their size, shape, or capabilities.
Anthropometry provides the:
Parameters of human size and shape that allow
designers to fulfill the needs of both comfort and
function.
Understanding of why a workspace fits a worker
and the understanding of how a workspace may
fail the people who work in it.
Important information on how to shape the
environment to fit the greatest number of people.
The term anthropometry refers to many types
of measurements that are used to completely
describe the human form.
It includes:
Dimensions of the human form (stature, breadth,
length)
Mass of the human form (weight, center of
gravity)
Parameters of human strength and motion
STATIC ANTHROPOMETRY
Static anthropometry is the science of
measuring length, breadth, and width in the
human population.
Overall the shape of any stable population
changes from generation to generation, a
phenomenon termed secular trend
 Gender Differences
The differences between men and women are
more than skin deep.
Men generally are larger than women, both
overall and in limb length.
Less of male body weight is composed of fat
tissue, and what fat men have tends to
accumulate at the abdomen.
A woman’s fat tends to accumulate at the hips,
thighs, and buttocks.
It is interesting to note that obesity in women
has not significantly increased since 1999, but
obesity has increased in men.
Ethnic Differences
Different ethnic groups have different
anthropometric measurements.
A general rule of thumb is that ethnic groups that
live primarily in tropical climates have a lower
body weight than groups that live in colder
temperatures.
Body proportions vary among ethnic groups; for
example, black Africans have proportionally longer
lower limbs than Europeans, whereas Asians have
proportionally shorter limbs.
Differences resulting from ethnicity, however, tend
to diminish as populations migrate and commingle.
Latin Man versus Latin woman hand
Aging
It is easy to see the difference age makes in
body size and shape when comparing a child
with an adult.
Anthropometric changes during adulthood,
however, are more subtle.
 As people pass ,stature decreases and body
weight increases.
 After age 50 for men and 60 for women,
body weight again decreases
Occupational Differences
The tendency for people of different
occupations to have different anthropometric
proportions is poorly understood.
Some occupations, such as soldier or jockey,
are self-selective—a specific size or weight is
necessary to perform the job.
Why other occupations should be stratified by
size is a bit of a mystery.
 Does the job shape the person, or does the
correctly sized person select the job?
 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
The presence of a disability is often an
overlooked factor in workstation design.
Disability alters not only the size and shape of
individuals but also their capacity to perform
activities that may be taken for granted by the
general population.
Consider people who use wheeled mobility
devices:
 They have to cope with the impairments that placed
them in their devices
 Added anthropometric disadvantage of being
anywhere from 10 to 18 inches lower than other
adults in situations in which standing is needed
 In addition, their overall breadth is up to five times that of a
person without a device, and thus they are much larger and
bulkier.
 Consider individuals who have an impairment. These individuals
may lack full motion or strength because of a mild disability;
examples include the frail elderly who cannot rise from a chair
because it is too low and individuals with rheumatoid arthritis
who cannot open a car door because of weakened hands.
 In a well-designed environment, these individuals may be able
to function fully.
 However, if placed in a poorly designed environment, these
individuals may be totally disabled.
 Thus, designing an environment that supports the independence
of those with disabilities is vital.
 Using anthropometric measurements to design the optimal
environment for people with disabilities often provides an
optimal environment for all populations.
When designing for people with disabilities
(particularly those with physical challenges
such as kyphosis, axial rotation, or limb
discrepancies), the use of standard
anthropometric measurement and techniques
is difficult because of the high degree of
statistical variability in this population.
Type of disability can markedly affect the
distributions of body dimensions
 Anthropometric Data
Hand
Breadth
Length
Thickness
Breadth Across Thumb

Standing Seated Other

Standing Height Sitting Height Body Weight
Eye Height Eye Height Arm Reach
Elbow Height Elbow Height Foot Length
Ankle Height Knee Height Shoulder Breadth
 Optimal Work Zone

40°

15°
OPTIMUM

0°

15°

40°

Work Reach Zone + Vision Arcs = The Optimal Work Area

Using Anthropometric Data

Design for the extremes

Design for an adjustable range

Design for the average?

Design Guidelines
Posture Definitions
Affect of Posture on Grip Strength
Acceptable/Unacceptable
Work Positions
Effect of Workstation Design
on Posture
Reach/Work Envelopes
Reach/Work Envelopes
Optimal Work Zone
Work Surface Heights
Work Surface Heights
Dimensions Measured (Gallwey and
Fitzgibbon)
Data for 11 dimensions relevant to
workplace design were collected:
Dimensions Measured
1.
4. Knee mass:
Body height:subject
subjectstood
sameerect
as (3)on– a
vertical
medical height
scalefrom
reading
foot surface
to 0.1kg.
to superior aspect of right patella.
2.
5. Stature:
Thigh clearance
subject height:
stood erect
subject
heelssame
together,
as (3) looked
– vertical
straightfrom
height ahead,
top arms
surface
hung
of bench
loose attothe
thesides.
junction of thigh
3. and abdomen.
Popliteal height: subject sat erect on the bench, feet
6. height was adjusted
Buttock-knee length:tosubject
bring thighs
same as horizontal
(3) – horizontal
and
parallel, lower
distance from block
legs vertical
held against
– vertical
rearmost
heightpart
fromof foot
surface tototop
buttocks edge
surface
of right
of bench.
patella.
Dimensions Measured
9-Elbow
7. Buttock
– breadth:
breadth subject
– seated:
satas
erect,
for (3)
upper
– horizontal
arms hanging
width at
acrosslower
sides, the greatest
arms extended
lateral protrusion
horizontally,
on palms
each side
facing
of the
buttocks.
each other, elbows held as tightly as possible to the sides
8. – maximum
Sitting horizontal
height – normal:distance
subjectacross lateral relaxed
sat normally surface on
of
the elbows.
bench hands in lap, looking straight ahead – vertical
height from top surface of bench to top middle part of the
head.
 Results (Gallwey and Fitzgibbon)
No. Dimension Min Max Mean SD Cov (%) Mean (U.S. data) sig diff
1 Mass (kg) 47.2 95.8 73.9 8.7 11.7 76.2 0.025
2 Stature 1562 1896 1730.8 58 3.4 1732 NS
3 Popliteal height 347 512 397 34 8.6 439.5 0.0005
4 Knee height 426 578 508.4 28 5.4 541 0.0005
5 Thigh clearance height 117 192 152.7 16 10.3 144.8 0.0005
6 Buttock-knee length 473 675 600.1 28 4.7 591.8 0.0005
7 Buttock-popliteal length 415 543 486.1 24 4.8 492.8 0.01
8 Buttock breadth - seated 295 409 355.3 25 7.1 355.6 NS
9 Sitting height - normal 301 564 454.3 53 11.7 421.6 0.0005
10 Sitting height - erect 782 944 872.9 33 3.7 879.7 0.025
11 Elbow - elbow breadth 830 997 911.3 30 3.3 918.4 0.025
 Static anthropometric measurements

Like most sciences, static anthropometry has

conventions.
Static anthropometry always looks at human
dimensions in either the sagittal plane or the
coronal plane.
Static anthropometry also uses two standard
postures
Standing posture: The person stands erect and looks
straight ahead, with his or her arms in a relaxed posture at
the side
 Seated posture: The person sits erect and looks straight
ahead.
The sitting surface is adjusted so that the person’s thighs are
parallel to the floor and the knees are bent to a 90-degree
angle with the feet flat on the floor.
The upper arm is relaxed and perpendicular to the horizontal
plane, and the forearm is at a right angle to the upper arm
and thus also parallel to the floor.
Measurements in sitting are made using a horizontal
reference point, either the ground or the seat, and a vertical
reference point, an imaginary line that touches the back of the
uncompressed buttocks and shoulder blades of the subject.
Thus, in the standard seated posture, the person is measured
with most joints, the ankle, knees, hip, and elbows at 90-
degree angles
Anthropometric Data
Dimension, In
Body dimension Sex 5th 50th 95th
1. Stature (height) Male 63.7 68.3 72.6
Female 58.9 63.2 67.4
2. Eye height Male 59.5 63.9 68.0
Female 54.4 58.6 62.7
3. Shoulder height Male 52.1 56.2 60.0
Female 47.7 51.6 55.9
4. Elbow height Male 39.4 43.3 46.9
Female 36.9 39.8 42.8
5. Knuckle height Male 27.5 29.7 31.7
Female 25.3 27.6 29.9

13. Chest depth Male 8.4 9.5 10.9

Female 8.4 9.5 11.7
Anthropometric Data
Dimension, In
Body dimension Sex 5th 50th 95th
6. Height, sitting Male 33.1 35.7 38.1
Female 30.9 33.5 35.7
7. Eye height, sitting Male 28.6 30.9 33.2
Female 26.6 28.9 30.9

8. Elbow rest height, Male 7.5 9.6 11.6

sitting Female 7.1 9.2 11.1

9. Thigh clearance Male 4.5 5.7 7.

height Female 4.2 5.4 6.9

10. Knee height, sitting Male 19.4 21.4 23.3

Female 17.8 19.6 21.5
11. Buttock-knee Male 21.3 23.4 25.3
distance, sitting Female 20.4 22.4 24.6
12. Popliteal height, Male 15.4 17.4 19.2
sitting Female 14.0 15.7 17.4
Many of these measurements would be
similar in a seated population except that the
height and breadth of the wheelchair must be
taken into consideration.
Limitations of the static anthropometric estimates

A. Accuracy
Measuring the human form is a tricky
business.
Not only is the body composed of round, soft
outlines that are prone to compression, but
people also tend to slouch.
Measurement methods may vary from study to
study depending on the researchers.
B. Clothing

One of the greatest flaws in anthropometric

measurements, at least for workstation design,
is that the measurements are often taken of
unclothed, unshod persons.
Fortunately, most clothing adds only minimal
bulk, unless it is protective equipment or bulky
outdoors clothing.
If workers are likely to be wearing bulky
clothing, adjust the measurements accordingly.
Shoes: Add approximately 1 inch (25 mm) for
men and 1 to 2 inches (25 to 45 mm) for
women to all measurements involving leg
height
C. Population
As mentioned, people in different populations
have different sizes.
 Estimates should correspond with the
population type of the people who will use the
design. For example, if the population is
predominantly Asian, using the information
from a western group will result in
measurements that are too large.
D. Averages
All the measurements are averages of a large
population.
Variations exist for all the measurements
when applied to the individual level.
Using the average (50th percentile) creates
workstations that are too large or too small
for most people.
USES OF ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA
Always consider the overall population and
the purpose of the workstation before using
any measurement
 Reach
Reach is defined as a sphere around the worker that
can be touched by the worker at all points without
moving the body from the starting point.
The shoulder is the axis or center of the sphere, and
the length of the arm is equal to the radius.
In some cases, when reach is limited to what is
available from elbow to fingertips (as when working
on a table), the elbow is the axis and the forearm and
hand form the radius.
When designing to accommodate reach, consider the
smallest user, the 5th percentile woman.
 If she can reach an object, all larger individuals can
reach it, too.
Vertical Reach
Operating buttons on a control panel and
getting objects off high shelves are examples
of activities that occur during vertical reach
Horizontal Reach
Horizontal height is usually defined by a tabletop
or counter; the worker manipulates objects on its
surface. Four zones need to be considered
Normal work distance is the arc made by the
forearm when the body is as close to the table as
is comfortable and the elbow is close to the side.
Extended working distance is the area made by
the arc of the arm when the elbow is straight.
 This is best for storing frequently used tools,
supplies, and heavy objects
Maximum work distance is established when
the body leans forward.
This area is best for infrequently used
supplies and tools.
 It is also the area that is considered for the
placement of push-buttons and other controls
Most efficient workspace is defined by a 10-
inch (250-mm) square directly in front of the
worker and about a hand’s span from the
edge of the table.
This is the area where most people prefer to
work, as it places material at the most
comfortable distance from the body.
Reach distances can be constrained by the
following:
Balance
Clothing
Overall joint mobility
Blocking by other surfaces
Job requirements
“Visual” Reach (Seeing over Objects)
Visual contact with important objects is necessary
in a work place.
The object should not block the normal line of
sight.
With the head erect, relaxed line of sight is 10-15
degrees below the horizontal
The eyes can rotate about 15 degrees above and
below this imaginary angle.
The controls that need to be read frequently
should be placed 30 degrees below and 5 degree
above the horizontal.
The reading distance is approximately 15.8-27.6
inches away from the eye.
Clearance:
Clearance is the space needed to allow the
free passage of a person or a body segment.
Clearance can be as narrow as a hatchway
into a submarine or as wide as a doorway in a
civic center.
Historically the clearance has been designed
for the biggest user. However, in today’s
society, clearance must take into account the
people who use wheeled devices for mobility.
Height: 99% man wearing helmet and shoes
can pass without ducking is 77 inches
Cont…
Width: Depends upon use. For 1 person 25.5
inches, for 2 persons 53.1 inches, for a
person in wheelchair 36 inches.
Hand clearance: The smallest aperture
through which 95% of man can slide his hand
in and out is a square with each side
measuring 5.1 inches.
Leg room: Seated work requires a space to
stretch and position the legs in a variety of
postures. The space should be at least 27.2
inches wide and 27.6 inches high.
Posture:
Several rules should be kept in mind to
help decrease the effects posture may
have on the body.
Positions should be changed frequently.
Position that causes forward flexion of the
head should be avoided.
Upper arms should be kept next to the body
and raising arms over head should be avoided.
Body parts should be kept aligned and
twisting& asymmetry should be avoided.
Cont….
Neutral postures should be maintained and
extremes of ranges should be avoided.
A back support should always be provided.
Body parts should be placed in position of
greatest strength.
Precision:
Precision is strongly influenced by the need
to see the work.
The smaller the work, the closer it must be
held to eyes.
Precision is enhanced by workers’ ability to
hold the work close to the body and support
his arms while working.
Strength:
Strength is directly influenced by the
posture.
All muscles have an optimal muscle-tension
length in which they are strongest. To achieve
maximum strength body parts should be
positioned accordingly.