Markets

The Underlying Model

Market

Human Systems Integration

Habitability

Habitability involves designing and maintaining environments within systems to support human life and well-being. This includes considerations such as adequate living space, comfortable temperature and humidity levels, appropriate lighting, noise control, and air quality. Ensuring habitability is crucial for maintaining crew health, morale, and performance over extended periods of time, especially in confined or isolated environments such as spacecraft, submarines, or military installations.

Egress – Ingress

Egress and ingress refer to the processes of entering (ingress) and exiting (egress) a system or vehicle. Human Systems Integration focuses on designing these processes to be safe, efficient, and accessible for users. This involves designing clear pathways, ergonomic door handles and latches, emergency exits, evacuation procedures, and safety protocols to facilitate rapid and orderly entry and exit, especially in emergency situations.

Human Vibration

Human vibration refers to the transmission of mechanical vibrations to the human body, which can cause discomfort, fatigue, and even injury. In HSI, human vibration is assessed and managed to minimize adverse effects on users. This includes designing vibration-damping systems, ergonomic seating and workstations, and implementing vibration isolation measures to reduce the transmission of vibrations from machinery or vehicles to occupants.

Human Factors Engineering:

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) focuses on designing systems to optimize human performance and minimize human error. In HSI, HFE principles are applied throughout the design and development process to ensure that interfaces, controls, displays, and other system components are intuitive, user-friendly, and compatible with human capabilities and limitations. This includes conducting user-centered design evaluations, usability testing, and ergonomic assessments to identify and address potential issues early in the design process.

Human Performance

Human performance refers to the capabilities, limitations, and behaviors of individuals and teams within a system. HSI aims to optimize human performance by providing adequate training, support, and resources to users. This includes designing training programs that are tailored to the specific needs and abilities of users, providing feedback and performance monitoring tools, and implementing ergonomic interventions to enhance user comfort and efficiency.

Systems Safety

Systems safety involves identifying and mitigating risks associated with system operation to ensure the safety of users and bystanders. In HSI, safety considerations are integrated into all aspects of system design, operation, and maintenance. This includes conducting hazard analyses, risk assessments, and safety audits to identify potential hazards and implementing safety controls, protective measures, and emergency procedures to prevent accidents and minimize their consequences.

Accommodation

Accommodation refers to the design of systems to accommodate the physical, cognitive, and sensory needs of users. In HSI, accommodation involves ensuring that systems are accessible, inclusive, and adaptable to a diverse range of users, including individuals with disabilities or special needs. This includes providing adjustable controls, alternative input methods, and assistive technologies to accommodate users with different abilities and preferences.

Design

Design encompasses the process of creating and refining systems to meet the needs and requirements of users. In HSI, design considerations include both functional and ergonomic aspects, such as layout, aesthetics, usability, and user experience. This involves conducting user needs assessments, conceptual design reviews, and iterative prototyping to create systems that are intuitive, efficient, and effective for users.

Training

Workload

Workload refers to the cognitive and physical demands imposed on users by system operation. In HSI, workload is assessed and managed to prevent fatigue, errors, and stress. This includes designing systems to automate repetitive tasks, optimize task allocation, and provide adequate support and resources to users. Additionally, workload monitoring tools and feedback mechanisms may be implemented to help users manage their workload effectively and maintain optimal performance.

Safety

Safety encompasses the measures taken to protect users and bystanders from harm during system operation. In HSI, safety considerations are paramount and integrated into all aspects of system design, operation, and maintenance. This includes implementing safety features, warning systems, and emergency procedures to prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences. Regular safety inspections, audits, and training programs are also conducted to ensure ongoing compliance with safety regulations and best practices

Human Performance and readiness

Habitability

Egress – Ingress

Human Vibration

Energy & Hydration

Santos can analyze energy expenditure during tasks, helping optimize work practices to reduce fatigue and ensure proper hydration levels.

Fatigue & Balance/Stability

antos can assess fatigue levels and identify potential balance or stability issues that could increase injury risk.

Force and torque requirement

Santos is able to provide accurate calculations on what forces are needed to accomplish a task and what torques at the joints are needed or whether these torques surpass known limits

Strength & Mobility

Analyze the strength and mobility required for specific tasks, helping to design safer workstations and training programs.

Forces & Torques & Injury Mitigation

Simulate forces and torques exerted during movements, allowing for risk assessment and injury prevention strategies.

Performance Optimization

Analyze performance data to identify areas for improvement and develop personalized training plans to optimize human capabilities.

Human Variability

Account for individual differences in body size, strength, and endurance, ensuring recommendations are tailored to a diverse workforce.

Effect of Load & Configuration

Analyze the impact of carrying different loads and equipment configurations on worker performance and safety.

Reach & Vision

Assess how workplace design or equipment placement affects a worker's reach and vision, promoting better ergonomics and accessibility.

Comfort & Effort

Evaluate worker comfort levels and physical effort required for tasks, helping to design workstations that minimize discomfort and exertion.

PPE, Armor, and Survivability

Santos The Ultimate Test Dummy for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Santos, the biomechanically-accurate virtual soldier developed at the University of Iowa, transcends his military origins to become an invaluable tool for assessing personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly armor. Here’s how Santos can revolutionize the evaluation process:

Hit Detection and Ballistics Evaluation

Virtual ballistics

Santos can be placed in simulated shooting scenarios where virtual projectiles impact his armor. Rays are cast to the model while tracking the point of impact, and the potential for a hit. This allows designers to assess the effectiveness of different armor coverage against various anthropometries.

Internal Organ Protection

Inertia and Task- Based Performance

Movement simulations

Santos can perform various military tasks while wearing virtual armor, such as running, jumping, kneeling, or aiming a weapon. Sensors track his movements and identify any limitations imposed by the armor's weight distribution and inertia.

Fatigue analysis

Extended virtual exercises can assess how the weight and bulk of the armor affect soldier fatigue and endurance. This helps optimize armor design for optimal performance without compromising mobility.

Weight Distribution and Center of Gravity (CG)

Range of Motion and Restriction

Joint mobility analysis

Sensors within Santos' virtual joints track his range of motion while wearing armor. This helps identify areas where the armor might restrict essential movements like aiming, climbing, or crouching.

Ergonomic design

By analyzing movement limitations, designers can refine armor components to ensure maximum range of motion without compromising protection.

Mobility, Agility, and Balance

Torque and Leverage

Weapon handling

Santos can virtually wield various weapons while wearing armor. Sensors track the torque generated in his joints during weapon manipulation. This helps assess if the armor design hinders a soldier's ability to effectively handle weaponry.

Climbing and rappelling

Virtual simulations of climbing and rappelling maneuvers can be conducted with Santos in armor. This allows for assessment of the armor's impact on a soldier' s ability to exert torque and leverage their body weight during such tasks.

Sizing and Fit (Beyond Basic Sizing)

Bulk and Workspace Considerations

Confined space operations

antos can be placed in virtual environments representing vehicles, helicopters, or other confined spaces. This allows for assessment of how bulky armor might hinder a soldier's ability to maneuver and perform tasks within these environments.

Workspace design

Virtual mockups of vehicles and equipment can be created to accommodate soldiers wearing specific armor configurations. This ensures soldiers have adequate workspace for essential tasks without compromising safety or comfort.

Head Protection (Helmet):

Product Design, and Testing

Product Design, Development and Testing

Santos: The Digital Test Subject for Product Design, Development, and Testing

Santos, iHuman’s biomechanically-accurate human digital twin, transcends his military applications to become a powerful human digital twin for product design, development, and testing. Here’s how Santos can revolutionize these processes:

Assessing Usability:

Intuitive interfaces

Santos can interact with virtual prototypes of control panels, touchscreens, or even wearables. By simulating user actions and monitoring his digital "confusion," designers can identify and rectify usability issues before physical prototypes are built.

Cognitive load

By tracking Santos' eye movements and response times within a virtual environment, designers can assess the cognitive load of interacting with a product. This helps ensure interfaces are clear and minimize user frustration.

Hand Grasping and Fine Motor Skills

Fit and Function

Reach and Vision

Workplace design

Santos can navigate virtual workplaces, helping assess optimal placement of controls, tools, and displays for maximum reach and visibility. This prevents work-related injuries caused by awkward postures or poor access to equipment.

Vehicle design

Santos can be placed virtually within a car or aircraft, allowing designers to evaluate driver and pilot visibility, reach for controls, and overall comfort during maneuvers.

Vision and Sensory Inputs

Force and Torque Requirements

Manual labor tools

Santos can virtually operate tools with varying leverages, grips, and force requirements. This helps designers optimize tool design to reduce muscle strain and risk of injury.

Physical therapy equipment

Santos can be used to test the effectiveness of rehabilitation equipment by simulating different levels of strength and limitations. This helps therapists develop personalized treatment plans.

Anthropometry and User Diversity

Customizable products

Santos can be used to virtually test customizable product features like adjustable chairs or prosthetic limbs, allowing for personalized fit and function assessments. By leveraging Santos as a digital test subject, product design, development, and testing can become more efficient, cost-effective, and user-centric. Santos' ability to simulate a wide range of human interactions with products paves the way for a future where innovation is driven by a deep understanding of real-world human needs.

The PPE a and armor nalysis can support the following:

Design Capabilities: Develop a method for designing flexible armor, including size, weight, and bulk, ensuring adaptability to diverse mission requirements.
Mobility Enhancement: Specify flexible joints and define a range of flexibility to enhance Soldier mobility, considering the wide range of movements required in combat scenarios.
Anthropometric Variability: Incorporate the ANSUR database to vary anthropometry, reflecting diverse body types within the US Army, ensuring that armor designs cater to the entire spectrum of Soldier body types.
Realistic Scenarios: Integrate methods for varying Soldier weight and strength to simulate real-world scenarios, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of armor performance in dynamic conditions.
Loading Simulations: Implement a system for loading armor onto the body at specified locations, considering the ergonomic and functional aspects of the gear placement.
Task Customization: Allow the selection of specific tasks, gear, and loading conditions for Soldiers, including five distinct tasks, ensuring that the iArmor system covers a broad spectrum of combat scenarios.
Statistical Analysis: Output statistically analyzed results to assess mobility, maneuverability, and overall Soldier performance, providing quantitative metrics for evaluating different armor configurations.