Ergo-Design, an integrated user centered approach to be adopted in India for better tool development
Out of total Indian population 1,147,995,904 (July 2008 est.), agricultural workers are about 559,656,000 which is roughly 49％ of the total population. Most of them are still using primitive tools causing less productivity and immense drudgery while working in the field. Several reasons are observed behind this situation. The major factors are 1)Non availability of ergonomics based designed tools or implements, 2) Lack of Ergo-design awareness among the manufacturers and designers, 3) Appropriateness of the tool according to the work environment, 4) Lack of awareness among the users on demanding better quality tools and their usage, 5) Deficiency in statutory standards, 6) Economic limitations. It was further observed that while use of modern machineries have been brought in to the cultivation system, less capital gain from the field has forced the male agricultural workers to look for alternative jobs in the cities leaving the young females in the villages for cultivation. This is going to demand gender related changes in the agricultural machinery or tools especially in case of tractors. Although officially there are eight major products, rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry, and fish, as listed in the official website of the Govt. of India, there are drastic regional variations in the agricultural crops. For example rubber plantation is one of the major crops in Kerala which requires a special skill and tools to extract the sap from the tree. Similarly coconut cultivation also requires a special skill for removing coconuts from the trees and further processing of the coconut. Contribution by the scientists from the agriculture related engineering institutes at different parts of the country, especially under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research program, is commendable. The new generation researchers have brought in a new way of thinking in problem solving. It has been observed that while these new generation tools are of engineering excellence, there is a severe shortfall in the ergo-design component. This paper deals with examples on how an integrated approach between the ergonomists, product designers and agricultural engineers will complement each other to develop a user centered product for maximum safety and productivity with less human cost. The paper also recommends introduction of user centered design approach at different level of academic curriculum along with conduction of workshops/seminars on “Ergo-Design to bring awareness among the common mass.
Gaur G. Ray
Ergonomics Laboratory Industrial Design Centre Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India
国际会议
17th World Congress on Ergonomics(第十七届国际人类工效学大会)
北京
英文
1-6
2009-08-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）