Delphi Survey: Digital Ergonomics 2025

Research on how to support product and production design processes by computer-aided tools of ergonomics is one of the scientific focal points within the interdisciplinary field of ergonomics. Digital human models are an important aspect within this research context. Assuring a widespread use of these and other tools gives great potential for increasing product usability and designing safe, healthy and competitive work systems: The identification and redesign processes for dangerous or unhealthy product design and work system parameters can be moved into early product and production process design phases. In order to analyze specific future technological and organizational trends, an expert- and web-based, three-round Delphi survey on "Digital Ergonomics" was carried out from November 2011 until May 2012. A panel of 60 German experts was asked to answer nine lead questions in a first round. 26 statements were then built resulting from a qualitative data analysis of the received 886 answers. Each statement was evaluated according to its impact as well as its most probable date of occurrence in the second round. In the last round, the results of the second run were presented to the experts according to the Delphi technique and they were asked to assess the statements once again. During the whole Delphi survey the response rate was about 55%. Based on the results a ranking was built and the trends were sorted into seven categories according to their importance and most probable date of occurrence. Furthermore, named advantages, disadvantages and requirements of small and medium sized enterprises on digital human modeling were assessed. The results of the Delphi survey give an expert-based roadmap on trends in digital human modeling until 2025, which are presented in detail in this paper.

Bibliographic information

Title:  Delphi Survey: Digital Ergonomics 2025. 

Written by:  S. Wischniewski

in: 2nd International Digital Human Modeling Symposium: Paper abstracts; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 11. - 13. June 2013, Paper 3 Ann Arbor:  University of Michigan, 2013.  pages: 1-8, Project number: F 2313

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Further Information

Research Project

Project numberF 2313 StatusCompleted Project Delphi survey: "Digital Ergonomics 2025 - Trends and strategies for increasing product usability and designing safe, healthy and efficient socio-technical work systems"

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Research completed