IB DP Design - Topic 1: Ergonomics

What is not a psychological factor?

• fatigue

• temperature

• sound

• comfort

• light

What is this?

• Percentile Range

• Data Chart

• Ordinal Scale

• Interval Scale

The image below is a bell shaped curve showing a normal distribution. Which strategy should the designer use for the mass-produced product?

• 1st - 99th percentile

• 95th percentile

• 50th percentile

• 5th - 95th percentile

The image below shows the workspace in front of a person. The primary zone is the area within easy reach of the hands. The secondary zone can be reached by involving arm movement. Which object would be best located in the primary zone?

• Display screen

• Mouse

• Stapler

• Heavy file

What describes the collection of data that does not already exist?

• Ordinal data

• Secondary data

• Primary anthropometric data

• Categorial data

What physiological factor are the designers attempting to address in the creation of the Wow-pen

mouse shown in Figure 1?

• Endurance

• Biomechanics

• Tolerance

• Comfort and Fatigue

When the Italian manufacturer Alessi commissioned the architect Michael Graves to design a new kettle, the company stipulated two requirements. They wanted a hob kettle that would come to the boil quickly, and that looked American. Graves realised that a fast boil could be achieved by making the kettle the right shape, with a broad base that tapered towards the top, see Figure 14, but making it look American was more of a challenge. In the end, he looked back to the childhood summers he spent on a farm in Indiana for inspiration. He remembered waking to the sound of boiling water and the rooster crowing, so he gave the kettle a whistle in the form of a coloured bird that screeched when steam from the boiling water rushed up the spout, see Figure 15. This witty reference to the past was typical of the Postmodern movement in design and architecture of the 1970s and 1980s. Developed in 1985, Graves’ Alessi kettle with a bird whistle remains an iconic design with one of its successes being that it meets all four aspects or criteria of the four-pleasure framework.

What has dictated the design of the kettle?

• The practical function

• The psychological function

• Neither the practical or psychological function

• Both the practical and psychological function

A recent study estimated that 239 000 industrial robots were used globally in 2015, see Figure 1. The study indicated that the growth was particularly rapid in China where the number of robots used increased by 16 % from 2014 to 2015.

Which of the followings does NOT describe the work envelope of a robot?

• the 3D/fixed space/area a robot can operate within

• considering clearance/reach

• amount of space the robot occupies

• the range of movement/degree of axis

Figure 1 shows information gathered from an athlete in a sports laboratory.

Muscle strength, age and coordination are examples of which type of factors considered by designers?

• Psychological factors

• Biomechanical factors

• Static factors

• Primary factors

Which of the following terms best describes being aware of what is happening around you?

• Psychological understanding

• Telepathy

• Alertness

• Perception