ANÁLISIS MORFOLÓGICO Y DE DISTRIBUCIÓN DE PRESIONES PARA LA MEJORA DEL CONFORT EN EL USO DE MÁQUINAS HERRAMIENTA

Abstract

The shape of a product with which there is a high tactile interaction should fit ergonomic demands to ensure an adequate level of comfort during its use. The objective of this work is to know in which locations of the hand pressure peaks occur to conveniently modify the machine’s morphology and reduce possible discomfort. To do this, a morphological analysis of two drilling machines was made through the Generalized Procrustes Analysis, and the pressure distribution and perceived comfort were obtained from usability tests performed by 30 subjects. As a result, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of pressures between machines, as well as in their perceived comfort. Comparing this information with that obtained in the morphological analysis, it could be concluded that the perceived discomforts are directly related to the shape of the main and auxiliary handles, appearing in sections where the formal dissimilarity indexes between machines are higher. Thus, the analysis made allows determining the zones whose geometry significantly influences the comfort associated with the use of this type of machines, as well as to show the way in which they should be modified to improve it.