Using Digital Human Models to Evaluate the Ergonomic Comfort of Interior Layouts and Furniture Design

Abstract

Despite broad adoption of Digital Human Models (DHMs) in other disciplines, the use of ergonomics in interior design heavily depends on design standards that offer rigid guidelines that do not adapt to design or human schemata. Digital ergonomic assessments and DHMs help designers predict and evaluate comfort for more human-centered designs. This paper proposes a framework to incorporate digital ergonomic evaluations to quantify and assess interior spaces’ ergonomic comfort using customized DHMs. The framework demonstrates a closed feedback loop connecting 3D models with Human Builder to perform quantitative ergonomic tests while offering real-time results with design recommendations. This implementation showed that individual physical capabilities affected the users’ comfort and design outcomes.