Stature, age, and gender effects on reach motion postures

The rapid adoption of software to simulate human reach motions in the desig n of vehicle interiors and manufacturing and office workstations has requir ed a sophisticated understanding of human motions. This paper describes how more than 3000 right-arm reaching motions of a diverse group of participan ts were captured and statistically modeled. The results demonstrate that st ature and age have a larger effect than does gender on reach motion posture s for motions chosen by the participants while reaching to targets placed t hroughout a typical automobile interior. We propose that these methods, mod els, and results can assist the further development of human motion simulat ion software for ergonomic purposes, such as for the design or evaluation o f vehicle interiors or industrial workplaces, to ensure that various popula tion groups are physically accommodated.