ABSTRACT
Efficient operation of a machine depends upon the design of its control layout. The literature documents several factors that are of importance in the design of a control panel. Despite knowledge about each individual factor, it is not known how these factors should be combined to yield an overall ergonomic assessment of a specific control layout. This chapter describes the initial steps in a process to establish a numerical index capable of comparing, on a mathematical basis, different control arrangements in agricultural tractors. In old tractors, controls exclusively consisted of hand and foot levers which, from an ergonomic perspective, were not very friendly to the driver due to their placement, length, and the travel distance required to carry out a specific operation. Professional ergonomists participated in a survey to determine the relative importance of several ergonomic factors.
