1 Reply Latest reply on Nov 23, 2015 7:50 AM by Jody Byram

    Can I simulate human flesh as a material? (Ergonomics)

    Glamorgan Culio
    Glamorgan Culio Nov 20, 2015 1:19 PM

      Hello,

       

      I'm designing a custom ergonomic wood chair. I would like to simulate the pressure distribution of the human body into the chair. Is this something that I could simulate with SolidWorks Simulation? If not, do you have any idea of how to simulate the presure?

       

      Thanks!

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        • Re: Can I simulate human flesh as a material? (Ergonomics)
          Jody Byram
          Jody Byram Nov 23, 2015 7:50 AM (in response to Glamorgan Culio)

          The details and fidelity of the simulation would depend on the questions you are trying to answer.

           

          "are the chair legs strong enough to support a large person?"  could use a very simple model

          "is the seat pan going to bend excessively?"  might need a more detailed weight distribution

          " Will the pressure on a persons buttocks exceed xx PSI ?"  might need a detailed generic model of bones and muscles and fat, and calibration studies of force vs. deflection to adjust material properties. (or research to find a database of that info).  I'm pretty sure the human butt is not a linear elastic system, but approximating it as elastic might be close enough for your purposes.  May be a hard cylinder inside a softer cylinder might be sufficient.