Nowadays digital human models (DHM) have become a practical tool for design of human-machine interfaces and work environments. With growing importance of computer-aided design, electronic mock-ups, and rapid prototyping in the production cycle the use of DHMs will increase.
The high resolution of CAD-systems and the (photo-) realistic appearance of digital human models might easily evoke the idea of high accuracy and validity of the results. Moreover, it could lead to a non-critical use of these models. On the other hand information about correctness, accuracy, and validity of the model itself and its results are often not taken into consideration. But even if considered it is often forgotten that the information given is not universally valid and only suitable for special applications.
The Research Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE) of the Research Establishment for Applied Sciences (FGAN) carries out studies in the area of applicability and validity of human models. In this paper the results of a validation study for the digital human model RAMSIS are described. This model has been developed for car interior design and several studies in this area. In this study the use for the design of a console workplace for radar and weapon systems operators is analyzed which is a different application. With this approach it is examined whether the results from different validation studies match or differ from each other.
The study is divided into two parts: the first part is the validity of anthropometric modeling; the second refers to the posture model of RAMSIS. The results of the study show that on the one hand anthropometric modeling of individuals and posture modeling at reaching for nearby targets yields small inaccuracies, on the other hand posture modeling at reaching for targets close to maximum range yields larger errors.