Universal accessibility assessments through virtual interactive design

This study introduced a real-time virtual interactive design methodology for justifying human-machine interface design modifications. Reaching behaviour was examined with participants from the general population ranging from 5th to 95th percentile who were accessing an Automatic Teller Machine while seated in a wheelchair. Product height and task were independent variables. Subjective comfort ratings, objective comfort measures and electromyography were dependent variables. The results of a test of twelve subjects showed that the height of the product affects the subjective comfort level and can be detected through motion capture data imported into the computer-aided ergonomics assessment software called JACK™. The JACK comfort analysis tool is based on joint angles and is compared to subjective measures. This study demonstrates that additional focus should be given to verification and validation in digital human modelling, based on the current capabilities and limitations in the technologies that were observed.