Sensibility Ergonomics : Needs, Concepts, Methods and Applications

감성공학의 개념과 연구 및 응용 방법

History of the Sensibility Ergonomics is explained. Concepts, definition, and research methods on the human sensibility are proposed for systematic applications of human sensibility studies to product and environment developments. Sensibility Ergonomics was born in socio-technological environments where consumers required aesthetic and satisfactory products in addition to useful and usable ones, and manufactures were trying to develop consumer-oriented, user-friendly products. Sensibility Ergonomics is defined as "multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary processes for developing products and environment as usable, comfortable and satisfactory with the information on human sensibility." Human sensibility is functionally defined as "feelings generated when perceived sensory and information stimuli are reflected from memory which has been accumulated through personal experiences." Human sensibility is affected by at least three factors: personal, social, and cultural. Consumers evaluate products in three aspects : functional, sensorial, and cultural sensibilities. Human sensibility is personal, dynamic, and ambiguous. It is generated reflectively and intuitively against external stimuli. No Physiological responses are accompanied, and one cannot control his/her sensibility. However, the sensibility affects the decision making or behavior of the person. To understand the human sensibility many inter-disciplinary methods should be used instead of one-variable approach. Micro-scopic studies such as Questionnaire, interview, behavioral analysis, and psychophysiological experiments can be performed. In addition, social and cultural studies are essential to understand an individual's sensibility. Results of sensibility studies can be applied to setup new interactions between human and machine through sensible(or affective) human-machine (computer) interfaces. Human-oriented and user-friendly products can be made with the information on human sensibility.