Applications of the SAMMIE CAD system in workplace design

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is now firmly established in some industries as the normal method of originating and evaluating designs. Thus in aerospace it would be normal to have computer representations of proposed aircraft long before mock-ups or prototypes are available for functional evaluation. This implies that many aspects of the design may be finalised before there is any opportunity to carry out ergonomics evaluations of the work space or work tasks which will eventually confront the operator. Other industries are not so advanced in using computers in design, but would benefit from the ability to carry out ergonomics evaluations early in the design process. It is natural therefore to look for CAD systems which have the capability of considering human as well as mechanical, structural or other aspects of design. SAMMIE. System for Aiding Man-Machine Interaction Evaluation, is one such system which has been used in this way for some years. It assists in the building of a computer model of the workplace which can be viewed and manipulated on a graphics screen in ways which will be familiar to users of modern three-dimensional solid modelling systems. In addition. and most importantly, it includes a model of the human operator which is used as an evaluative tool. This paper very briefly describes the characteristics of SAMMIE but concentrates on describing applications of the technique to workplace design. In the main these applications originate from design consultancy carried out in recent years, and include supermarket checkout facilities, visibility studies in underground trains, and a machine shop environment.