Lifelike Human Advances Virtual Ergonomics

Through my last two virtual ergonomics posts, I learned a lot. I saw how a waiter’s movements share commonalities with shop floor workers by avoiding collisions and using repetitive movements. I’ve also imagined how a manikin can become more realistic looking and how their movements can be less robot-like and more natural, like an actual human being’s.

Seeing everyday tasks simulated ahead of time—on a factory floor or anywhere else—

I realize that this provides a much better view of how humans and objects work together. It’s interesting to me that when all actions and possible collisions are analyzed early on, human movement can work fluidly and efficiently next to machinery or animated objects.

My curiosity couldn’t end on a better note than with “living proof” that human modeling has exceeded my wildest dreams.

Right out of a sci-fi movie and into a computer near you, Dassault Systèmes has created very realistic human models called Lifelike Human. With Lifelike Human comes a cyber couple named Sia and Teo. Their looks are eerily human-like and yet are needed to provide a better view of what people can do in a manufacturing environment. Making them realistic, I learned, helps the users better visualize themselves or their specific employees doing the same task.

Check it out for yourself  here:  http://www.3ds.com/virtualergonomics

It looks like the Dassault Systèmes Virtual Ergonomics Solution teams—the DELMIA R&D US and Montreal teams, Design Studio, under the guidance of Victor Ramos and their partner Artizanal Studio in France—have outdone themselves this time. And in the process, helped me get a better grasp on the subject of human simulation. I’m really impressed by the realistic look of Sia and Teo.

What else can I say about them but to quote one of my kid’s favorite movies, Robots: “You can shine no matter what you’re made of.” Simulated cells and all.

So, how would you sum up this progress?

P.S. Click here for the previous first and second blog on virtual ergonomics.

Best,

Therese

Therese Snow works for Dassault Systèmes DELMIA Corp.