Hard Facts About Soft Machines

Although work furniture has had so much more attention recently there is a long way to go before this is translated into action in the wider world. Increased international concern for the health and safety of people at work is one of the driving forces behind this book.; The Science of Seating brings together researchers in ergonomics and posture with industrial designers, to review and assess the current state of chair design, with implications for cultural, behavioural and occupational aspects of health. The contributions are a significant step in the science of seating and should lead to a better understanding of the mechanics, dynamics and the effects of seating on the sitter.; They point to ways in which seats might become easier-to-use and adjust, offering both comfort and postural support without compromising freedom of movement: and in the not-too-distant furture, "the intelligent chair" will "remember" the sitter's preferences for position, cushiness and so on.; Topics covered include: Adjustability, Anthropometics, Posture, Back Pain, Biomechanics, Seat Pressure Distributions, School children, Special Needs of Users, Design Applications, Industry Perspectives, VDT Standards.; It is aimed at researchers and practising seating designers, ergonomists, design engineers, occupational health workers and physiotherapists and furniture manufacturers.

Rani Lueder, Kageyu Noro

Part 1 Seating And Health: A Continuous Passive Motion Backrest For Low backpain, Steven M. Reinecke et al; back problems caused by traditional work chairs and how to reduce the problem, A.C. Mandal; effect of belt support chair in preventing Lumbago and maintaining posture, Dr Morooka. Part 2 Seating and posture: study on posture as nonverbal communication, D. Haruki; our backs are all shaped differently, yet backrests are designed the same - does it really matter?, Rani Lueder; actual labour conditions of female workers and development of chairs for pregnant female workers in Japan, Ms Kajiyama. Part 3 Children and school chairs: video demonstration of Danish school chairs, A.C. Mandal; accommodation problems of chairs and desks to students in elementary and junior high schools in Korea and their solution, Professor Cho; accommodation problems of chairs and desks to students in elementary and junior high schools in Japan and their solution, Ms Salto and Ms Hibaru. Part 4 Chairs and ergonomics: functional factors in forward-tilting office chairs, Shiraishi Okamura and Dr Ueno; development of wheelchairs for physically handicapped people, D. Koga. Part 5 Chairs and office: three propositions about ergonomics seating which seem correct but are actually doubtful, Marvin J. Dainoff; application of simulation model for designing VDT workstations, Dr Noro and Mr Hirasawa; impact of office automation on seating design for the nineties, Leonard B. Kruk.