The team shows how ergonomics makes life more comfortable.   Segment length: 5:30

Have you ever wondered how astronauts brush their teeth in space? You don't see any sinks in spacecraft, do you? And in zero gravity, how can they rinse and spit out after brushing?

Astronauts can brush in space thanks to a very clever invention. They use a foamless toothpaste that doesn't need water, has a pleasant taste, and is perfectly safe to swallow.

Edible toothpaste is just one example of ergonomics at work. Ergonomics is a term taken from the Greek word "ergon", meaning "work," and "nomos"; meaning "natural laws." In other words, ergonomics refers to the natural laws of work. It's the science of designing the job, products, and place to fit the worker.

Ergonomics enters into the design of everything from equipment for space missions to the most comfortable car interior or athletic shoes. The idea behind it is simple. If you use a tool to do something it wasn't designed to do, then the tool can be damaged. In the same way, if you perform tasks beyond your physical capabilities, then you can get "damaged," too.

Many work-related injuries develop gradually over time. Called cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), or repetitive motion disorders, they can be caused by repeated, constant, or excessive stress on muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerves. If your job requires you to continually bend, lift, or stretch, you could end up with a back sprain. If you need to constantly bend, twist, or make repetitive motions with your hands and wrists, such as typing on a keyboard, you might acquire carpal tunnel syndrome.

To prevent injuries, ergonomists first determine the needs and capabilities of the people who will use a work site or product. (These are called the human factors.) To do this, they conduct many tests to find out the typical body size and common physical tendencies of the workers, such as muscle movement and vision. They use instruments like anthropometers and sliding calipers to measure the human body, as well as workplace surveys to collect data. They also have volunteers test products and they conduct workplace simulations to watch how people do their jobs.

1. What information would ergonomists need to design a car interior?
2. If you were an ergonomist for the aerospace industry, what problems would you need to solve? Think of space suits, the interiors of spacecraft, and space stations.

Congratulations! You're a famous ergonomics expert, so famous that your reputation has reached the Galaxy Zorbag, where a group of friendly, superintelligent space aliens live. They've always planned to visit Earth one day, but they've worried about how they would adapt to an environment like ours.

Hearing about your skill and creativity in designing tasks, tools, and settings for human beings, they've just communicated with you telepathically and told you they'll be coming soon for a yearlong stay. They'll need a place to live and work during their visit. They know how to access our "primitive" computers, so they'll need comfortable workstations as well. Since they'd like to do some sightseeing, they'll also need transportation.

The problem is, like most space aliens, the Zorbagians have some peculiarities:

• They have three heads, with one eye stalk in the middle of each and one antenna on top of each stalk.
  
• They have three tentacles with four fingerlike digits and retractable claws.
  
• They have three legs.
  
• They have short, scaly tails.
  
• They're allergic to the sun and the color red.
  
• They require a constant, ongoing supply of water.

Your mission is to come up with ideas to help them adapt to this environment. You want them to be comfortable and productive as they live and work here. You need to protect them from any problems they may encounter, and still make them feel at home. Since this is such an important intergalactic visit, you have unlimited access to manufacturing plants and production facilities. All you have to do is come up with the design ideas. So go to it! The Zorbagians are coming soon!

• Work in teams of four.
  
• Focus on one problem or one setting at a time. Group major and minor problems.
  
• List any additional Zorbagian information you would like to have before you begin your design work.
  
• Try to imagine yourself as a Zorbagian in each setting. Have you overlooked any possible problems?
  
• Draw sketches of the Zorbagians and the settings and products you've designed for them.
  
• Share your design ideas with the other teams in your class.

Questions

1. Did any teams come up with similar ideas? Work as a class to select what you think are the most workable design ideas.
   
2. What kind of process did your team go through when working on this project? What were the main problems you encountered? How did you solve them?