The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology funded Ingenious Award, managed by the Academy, will deliver workshops for schools as part of Think Human – a public engagement campaign launching at the Museum of Making in Derby on 27 September to mark the 75th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF).
Get a Grip introduces 14 to 18-year-olds to Ergonomics and Human Factors and guided by experts from Loughborough University and industry, explores how this approach helps make products for different people. Each participant will make their own table tennis bat handle in the Museum’s workshop, challenge their classmates to a game and swop bats to see how different products affect their performance.
Dr Ella Mae-Hubbard, Senior Lecturer in Systems Engineering and project lead said: “By experiencing what works for them but not others, students put themselves at the heart of the design and engineering process. This is the cornerstone of Ergonomics and Human Factors which underpins every aspect of our daily lives, and yet its relevance to subject choices can be overlooked.”
“Subjects ranging from design and technology, engineering, psychology, maths, physical education and biology offer great pathways to ‘thinking human’ which can lead to varied and exciting careers across a range of sectors.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Academy for supporting us to develop and deliver Get a Grip. We aim to inspire students and help Ergonomics and Human Factors professionals to develop public engagement and creative communication skills, advocating the value of their work for future generations.”
All ten Get a Grip workshops running throughout the Think Human exhibition are already fully booked by schools in the Midlands and Loughborough University’s School and College Liaison Team are exploring ways to meet further demand.
“We want to inspire as many young people as possible to explore how Ergonomics and Human Factors makes the world a better place and will continue to do so as future challenges and opportunities such as climate change and AI unfold,” said Dr Rebecca Grant, Lecturer in Biometrology and Think Human exhibition director.
“We are delighted by the response to the workshops and are already building on this momentum to create an online resource for schools, to further the impact of this public engagement initiative.”
Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation at Loughborough, said: “Loughborough University has an incredibly rich legacy of impact from our research in Ergonomics and Human Factors and we are delighted to be the headline sponsor of the Think Human exhibition that marks the CIEHF’s 75th anniversary. Ergonomics and Human Factors are central to many of the global challenges we face as societies around the world.”
Examples of our world-leading research and innovation – from specially engineered heated trousers that helped win Olympic medals to re-designed lorry driver cabins that save the lives of pedestrians and cyclists – are part of the exhibition alongside exhibits donated from industry, universities as well as the Museum of Making’s own extensive collection. And through the generosity of the Academy’s Ingenious Award, we hope to inspire more young people to become the next generation of inclusive design champions.”
Think Human is open to the public free of charge from 27 September to 22 December at the Museum of Making, Derby Silk Mill. Opening times and directions are available on the Museum’s website.