Aurelie Carries the Day
A young researcher from France is set to find out more about the best alpine backpacks that New Zealand has to offer.
Aurelie Blaise joins the Affect research centre as a visiting practicum placement student researcher from mid March to mid July 2009. She will be working under Professor Stephen Legg at the Centre for Ergonomics, Occupational Safety and Health (CErgOSH) in Palmerston North.
Aurelie will use a subjective perceptual method under simulated field conditions to compare two modern and novel designs of MacPac alpine backpacks in order to identify design improvements using a participative ergonomics approach.
Volunteers will carry two styles of backpack, each weighted to 15Kg, around a carefully selected outdoor trail simulating tramping alpine activities and complete closed and open ended focused questions which will undergo content analysis. The method has been used before but will be streamlined for this project with a view to rendering it more commercially useable by manufacturers.
