Digital ergonomics – model-based work design and evaluation

Ergonomic work design is becoming increasingly important. Despite advancing automation, numerous manual tasks are still required in many areas of production. These tasks often involve lifting heavy loads, awkward postures, and repetitive movements, leading to high physical strain and posing a long-term risk to health. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most common causes of sickness-related incapacity to work, both in Germany and across Europe. The back and neck/shoulder area are particularly affected. The risk of MSDs increases with age. In view of demographic change and an aging workforce, age-appropriate work design is becoming increasingly important. The aim is to design working conditions for young and old in such a way that they can work as healthily and motivated as possible throughout their entire working life, thus ensuring the long-term employment of employees. To this end, work processes must be examined and designed with regard to the employability of employees and age-appropriate requirements.

Digital ergonomics encompasses computer-aided methods for the ergonomic and economic analysis and design of products and work systems. Digital human models play an important role here. They represent and simulate the geometric and other properties and abilities of humans or elements. Simulation with digital human models makes it possible to create various “what-if” scenarios and design alternatives without the need for costly modifications or physical prototypes. Among other things, times, walking distances, reaching ranges, and body postures can be simulated in advance and taken into account in the digital workplace and process design.

We support you in:

• Measuring for objective analysis and evaluation of existing workplaces and processes with digital ergonomics tools.
• The development and optimization of ergonomic solution concepts
• The systematic detailed design of workplaces and processes and objective evaluation (age, populations, percentiles, performance-adjusted employees) of future solution concepts in terms of ergonomics and productivity.