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This pilot study shows an approach to generate a man-model-based anthropometry description. With the video-based software PCMAN, which has the same model structure as the DHM Ramsis, the individual anthropometry of a subject can be measured manually and expressed by a set of 476 model parameters. On the basis of 140 available anthropometric data sets statistical analysis has been done and four factors could be identified which allow for a good general description of human body shapes. Having shown the applicability of the approach the described method would now have to be applied to large, high quality data sets from body scans.

A comprehensive experimental study was conducted to investigate human movements when entering a vehicle. The primary goal of this study was to understand the influence of environmental changes on entry motions selected by a driver to enter a vehicle. The adjustable hardware setup “VEMO” (Variable Entry Mockup) was used for the experiments. With VEMO it is possible to simulate different types and classes of vehicle configurations. Around 30 test persons of different anthropometry participated in the experiments. The visual measurement system VICON was used for motion capturing, motion data cleaning and biomechanical analysis. The results corroborate the theory of leading body parts (LBPs) i.e. body parts that control targeted movement of the entire body. It could be demonstrated how motion patterns of LBPs, including spatial and dynamic characteristics such as orientation and velocity, respond to modifications of the geometrical environment.

The ergonomic design of automobiles has changed over in the last years. It is increasingly being transferred from the usage of two-dimensional templates of the human shape to computer-aided manmodels. So far these models were mainly used for static anthropometric investigations on the drivers workplace. Dynamic questions can be answered only very insufficiently. In the context of this work a methodology was developed to precalculate target directed human movements in a motor vehicle environment with the CAD-manmodel RAMSIS. A new two-piece model was developed. In this model dynamic boundary conditions, so called dynamic restrictions, for any movement in a car are determined, concerning outside parameters. In the following, the entire bodyposture is determined by a statistical posture probability model, considering these dynamic restrictions. A control theory of human movements was derived from the field of neurophysiology.