コンピュータマネキンを利用した福祉機器の設計(<小特集>福祉におけるシミュレーション技術の活用)  [in Japanese] Design and Development of Welfare Products Using Computer Manikin(Special Features on Applications of Simulation Methods to Welfare-Purpose Technology)  [in Japanese]

For the process of product design and development, a technological tool, which quantitatively evaluates the usability of human for the product in advance, has been investigated and developed in the field of design engineering. The computer manikin is expected in order to design welfare products considering the physical performance of the human user. The JACK of a software package was developed as a computer manikin by the Center for Human Modeling and Simulation (HMS) of Pennsylvania University, which is available for the computer simulation of body motion and working based in anatomic structure. This paper introduces the application of JACK to some design of welfare equipments ; a wheelchair driving snowy roads, a furniture beside a bed and kitchen system for handicapped. Because the computer manikin can express not all human-performance, knowledge of the human factors engineering and biomechanics is much important for an engineering designer to judge the output of the simulation. When the design is carried out without using the mock-up, thus software is effective as a supporting tool for the evaluation of the usability.