ISO/TR 9241-514:2020

TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 9241-514
First edition
Ergonomics of human-system
interaction —
Part 514:
Guidance for the application of
anthropometric data in the ISO 9241-
500 series
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)
©
ISO 2020

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ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)

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ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Accommodation estimates are statistical inferences based on samples drawn from
the intended user population . 2
4.1 Population samples . 2
4.1.1 Samples . 2
4.1.2 Weighting . 2
4.2 Univariate accommodation estimates . 2
4.3 Multivariate accommodation estimates . 3
4.3.1 Virtual fit test (VFT) . 3
4.3.2 Principal component analysis (PCA) and boundary cases . 4
4.3.3 Dealing with limited data . 5
4.3.4 Estimating concurrent accommodation for two or more variables using
percentile values . 5
4.3.5 Estimating concurrent accommodation for two or more variables using
percentile values . 6
4.3.6 Z-score multipliers in addition and subtraction of percentile values . 6
Bibliography . 8
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ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee 159, Ergonomics, Subcommittee SC 4, Ergonomics
of human-system interaction.
A list of all parts in the ISO 9241 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
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ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)

Introduction
The use of interactive systems takes place within a physical environment. The design of the physical
environment is decisive with regard to the outcome of the interaction between a variety of sizes of
users and the physical environment. As described in the system concept of ISO 26800, the physical
environment is embedded in an organizational and a social and cultural environment.
This document deals with the physical environment in which a physically diverse user group is assigned
to one or more workplaces, or spatial environments, to accomplish a task. The entirety of the spatial
environments assigned to a user is called environment of use. The relevant physical attributes of the
environment of use include issues such as air quality, thermal conditions, lighting, noise, spatial layout
and furniture. Specifically, this document discusses concepts for the spatial layout of workplaces so
that they match the physical anthropometric characteristics of the intended user population.
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TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/TR 9241-514:2020(E)
Ergonomics of human-system interaction —
Part 514:
Guidance for the application of anthropometric data in the
ISO 9241-500 series
1 Scope
This document is intended to provide guidance in the use of anthropometric data within the
ISO 9241-500 series.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
anthropometric accommodation
percentage of individuals in the intended user population whose anthropometric measurement values
are concurrently within specified values for all anthropometric variables of interest pertinent to the
design of some object
3.2
multivariate accommodation
percentage of individuals in the intended user population whose anthropometric measurement values
are concurrently within specified values for multiple anthropometric variables
3.3
percentile
percentage of the measurement values that are less than the given value
3.4
user population
group of people having some common environment or activity
Note 1 to entry: These groups can be as diverse as geographically defined populations or specified age groups.
3.5
univariate accommodation
percentage of individuals in the intended user population whose anthropometric measurement values
are within specified values for a single anthropometric variable
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3.6
weighting
assignment of a statistically determined multiplier to an individual’s anthropometric data in order to
reflect its relative importance in making the sample representative of the intended user population’s
anthropometry
4 Accommodation estimates are statistical inferences based on samples drawn
from the intended user population
4.1 Population samples
4.1.1 Samples
In order to estimate anthropometric accommodation, the intended user population needs to be defined.
For example, Japanese adult civilians between the ages of 18 and 70, or all Finnish children between the
age of 0 months and 24 months.
The sample should be large enough to be statistically representative of the intended user population.
Often, the extremes of the data, the largest or smallest measurements, are of great interest to designers.
The sample should be large enough that those individuals whose measurements are in the extremes are
well represented in terms of count, thus avoiding over-reliance on too few individuals in the extremes of
[4]
the measurement distribution. According to the BIFMA G1 Guideline (BIFMA 2013) , “typically 1 000
or more individuals are needed for each gender to ensure good precision in the tails of the distribution
where the design decisions are made”.
Similarly, the sample should accurately reflect the demographics of the intended user population.
For example, a sample of anthropometric measurements of military personnel are generally not
representative of the civilian population as they are based on younger individuals who are likely fitter
and leaner than the civilian population from which the military are drawn.
4.1.2 Weighting
In some cases, the sample of anthropometric data does not exactly match the demography of the
intended users. For example, military data often do not exactly match civilian data on variables such
as height, mass and age. A practical solution is to statistically weight individuals within the sample in
[7] [6]
proportion to their representation in the population of intended users . However, as Gordon has
emphasized, the technique of statistically weighting the sample data is useful in representing the target
population, but its utility does not extend to intended user populations that differ from the sample.
For example, there are sufficient differences in the range of height between the Korean and Dutch
populations that one cannot be weighted to represent the other.
4.2 Univariate accommodation estimates
The simplest accommodation estimates are those where only one variable, such as height, is involved.
In such cases, a percentile value gives a useful estimate of accommodation. For example, a designer
can want to design the ceiling of a room in an air terminal so that it provides a 20-cm clearance above
the heads of at least 95 % of all males from anywhere in the world. Then, a design height that is 20 cm
greater than the greatest 95th percentile value of males’ height in ISO/TR 7250-2 would reasonably be
expected to accommodate at least 95 % of all males worldwide. An even greater proportion of females
would be accommodated as men are generally taller than women.
NOTE The air terminal designer notes that the tallest males in the ISO/TR 7250-2 data set are from the
th
Netherlands, and that the 95 percentile value for their height is 195,9 cm. The designer adds 20 cm to the
95th percentile value and is reasonably confident that a ceiling height of 215,9 cm comfortably accommodates at
least 95 % of all male travellers.
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A similar accommodation estimate can be made using a 5th percentile value. Consider a situation where
a protective grid with square openings is placed in front of a piece of rotating machinery. The size of the
openings can be defined by the 5th percentile value of females’ index finger breadth.
This opening would prevent at least 95 % of females’ fingers from coming into contact with the rotating
machinery. A larger percentage of males’ fingers would be excluded as their fingers are generally larger
than females.
4.3 Multivariate accommodation estimates
More often, multiple variables should be accommodated simultaneously in the design of a product. For
example, a chair seat can have three dimensions of interest: seat depth, seat width, and seat height
above the floor. In such cases, the use of multivariate techniques needs to estimate the proportion of
users concurrently, or simultaneously, accommodated on all three variables.
The existence of a representative sample of anthropometric data enables several types of multivariate
analyses. Two types are discussed here, the virtual fit test (VFT) and principal component analysis (PCA).
4.3.1 Virtual fit test (VFT)
[9]
One type of multivariate technique is the virtual fit test described by Parkinson and Reed , Reed and
[11] [3]
Parkinson and partially anticipated in ANSI/HFES 100:2007, A.1.6 . In this technique, measurement
values are first specified for all the variables of interest. Then, the number of individuals in the sample
who are simultaneously accommodated for all the measurement values are counted and converted to a
percent of the total.
For example, suppose that a designer wants to know what percentage of a user population will be
accommodated by a proposed chair seat design if the chair seat depth is 400 mm, the chair seat width
is 500 mm and the chair seat height is 450 mm. The designer defines an accommodated individual as
an individual whose measurements are simultaneously less than or equal to the proposed seat depth,
width and height measurements of 400 mm, 500 mm and 450 mm, respectively. The analysis sho
...