ABSTRACT
Digital human models (DHMs) are used to predict postures and ergonomic stresses associated with automotive assembly tasks. Th e engineering community uses DHMs to evaluate assembly feasibility and identify product and process compatibility issues. More specifi cally, DHMs have increased the ability to determine risk and acceptability of designs very early in the product development cycle. Th ey also aff ord the unique opportunity of completing ergonomic assessments while interacting with 3D computer-aided designs (CAD). Ultimately, DHMs reduce the number of assumptions typically associated with traditional ergonomic assessment tools. Th e use of DHMs has coincided with a signifi - cant reduction in engineering design time and time to market. Even still, the full potential of digital human modeling has yet been realized.
