Creation of Muscle Manikin (CROMM)

Research Project, 2013 – 2016

Objective and Goal

The project aim is to develop a user friendly simulation and visualisation tool that can be used within production engineering for design, optimisation and verification of human centred production systems.

The tool to be developed will provide the possibility for the industry to:

* automatically compute and visualise a possible assembly motion that minimises the musculoskeletal health effect on workers.

* perform ergonomics and time balancing of work tasks between workers and workstations.

Result and Expected Effects

The project will result in a highly automated software that can be easily used in digital production preparation for the optimisation of human centred production systems.

With such tool available the number of optimisation and verification including human aspects will increase and in the long run:

* the physical working environment will be better.

* the product quality will increase then healthy workers perform a better job.

* the product and production development cost will decrease then ergonomic verification are made early in the design process.

Approach and Implementation

CROMM consortium consist of industry partners and two research partners, Fraunhofer Chalmers Center and Virtual ergonomics center. The project is divided into a number of work packages. Knowledge will be developed and implemented in a demonstrator and illustrated with cases from industry.

The work packages are:

1) Manikin dynamics and muscle model development,

2) Methods for consideration of human variation,

3) Assessment methods

4) Ergonomics and productivity balancing